Trustees debate 1‑to‑1 devices and code updates as board weighs bond and VATRE

During the Aug. 6 work session trustees debated the district’s move toward 1‑to‑1 devices, especially at elementary grades. Trustee Kalmbach said she opposed one‑to‑one devices for early grades and urged the district to rely on classroom sets or loaner devices: "I don't believe there's any reason for us to have 1 to 1 devices for children in elementary school," she said, adding concerns about screen time and handwriting and critical‑thinking impacts.

Administration and other trustees responded that state testing and adopted digital textbooks make devices necessary and noted equity concerns if devices are not provided. Doctor Killian said younger students do not take devices home in preK and kindergarten and said the district will develop guardrails for screen time. The board also heard a separate presentation on the 2026–27 student code of conduct, which included a new district policy implementing HB 1481 to require personal communication devices be turned off and stored during the school day while giving campuses flexibility about exact storage practices during assessments.

Trustees asked for clearer guidance on device usage, parental controls, and whether classroom sets could suffice at lower grades; staff said they would develop recommended guardrails and share more detailed curriculum alignment and usage plans.