Board approves 'bell‑to‑bell' ban on student personal device use during school day

The board discussed and approved recommended revisions to student technology policy 5516 that would prohibit student use of personal internet‑enabled devices during the school day, with limited exceptions for use on buses and before/after school.

Policy committee members described the approach as aligning practice with recent state guidance and prior local committee work. One board member asked about enforcement; staff said consequences would be managed under existing codes of conduct and school‑level discipline procedures. Another board member said Vernon had been ahead of the curve and that the recent change codifies practices already in place in some schools (for example limited use during lunch in some high school settings). The board moved the policies forward for approval and to second reading where applicable.