Brunswick Schools to make phone policy more restrictive in accordance with state law

BRUNSWICK — The Brunswick Board of Education approved the first reading for changing the district's phone policy to prohibit students of all grade levels from using their device during the school day. Assistant Superintendent Kathy Verhest said the district's previous policy stated that phones were not allowed at all at the elementary level. At the middle school, students were not permitted to use their phones, but they could be stored in lockers. At the high school, students could use their phones only during study hall, lunch and between classes. "Research shows that smartphones lower attention span and academic performance," she said. "Screen time contributes to increased anxiety and isolation. Healthy technology boundaries support face-to-face relationships, which are what we want for our kids." The policy change prohibits students from using their device from when the first bell of the school day rings to when the last bell rings, Verhest said. Devices must remain powered off and stored away during the school day with consistent expectations across all grade levels. "Our goal is not punitive in nature at all," she said. "It is to remove distractions and help students be fully present for instruction during the school day." Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said the change in policy reflects the change in law with House Bill 96. When it came out, the district was originally looking for a more definitive statement from the state. "We got further guidance from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce," Verhest said. "The governor was very clear on the fact that the instructional day was from the beginning of the day when the bell rings to the end of the day when the bell rings and that we should not be providing opportunities for kids to use personal communication devices during the school day." Parents will be able to call the school's office to get in touch with their child, Verhest said. Students will also be given the opportunity to go to the office to contact their parents if needed. "(In an emergency), we want our students to pay attention to what is happening in front of them right then and right there," she said. "We don't want them to be worried about using their phone to reach out to a parent and miss some instruction on how to keep them safe. In our safety plan that is submitted to the state, it explicitly states that we will allow students to use their cell phones the minute we know that they are safe, and it is safe to communicate home." Board President Mary Weinhauer said while the policy change is not the easiest path, it is the most beneficial for students. "I think that the easy path for us as a district, as educators, would be to put our heads in the sand and pretend that this wasn't a problem, that this wasn't a distraction to students and that it wasn't harming them," she said. "That's not what we do here. With the decisions we make, we always try to do what's best for students." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.