Kansas K-12 education officials are telling local districts that they should ban students from using phones in classrooms — and during the entire school day.
The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday to formally accept the recommendations of a task force established earlier this year to study student screen time and cellphone use in schools. Local school districts aren’t required to follow the new recommendations.
Under the recommended policies, local districts would ban students from using personal electronic devices throughout the school day, including in the classroom, between classes and during lunch. Such a policy, referred to as bell-to-bell, would be in conjunction to requiring students to store their devices in a designation location that isn’t accessible to students during the school day.
Those are two of five recommendations on policies for personal devices in school. The task force also had four recommendations on policies for screen time and mental health — including that educators “should have students take regular breaks from screens throughout the school day.” There are also 13 recommendation on policies for parental oversight of district-owned devices.
“These recommendations were not created with the intent to mandate district policy, but to provide guidance on research-based practices,” the task force report states.
School phone ban is a recommendation, not a mandate
The state board’s action Tuesday formally accepted the report and directed officials to provide it to local districts for their consideration. But the wording of the motion did not necessarily indicate whether the state board was supportive of the specific recommendations. That was a distinction noted by some board members, who indicated they personally may not support all the recommendations but were OK with providing the report to schools.
“I am very ready to accept the fact that the task force came up with these recommendations,” said board member Cathy Hopkins, R-Hays. “I, as a board member, don’t necessarily want to say that that’s my stance.”
“This vote is, like you said, it’s acknowledging and thanking really the members of the task force for their time,” said board chair Melanie Haas, D-Overland Park. “It’s not necessarily an endorsement by the board of every bit of information that is contained therein.”
The state board in July asked for the establishment of a task force, which had 36 members. It had five superintendents, including Topeka area superintendents Brad Kempf, of Jefferson County North, and Troy Pitsch, of Wabaunsee. It also had five local school board members, including Sue Bolley, of Topeka Public Schools. There were two IT staff members, including Travis True, of Topeka. There were also five principals, five teachers, five students, five parents, two legislators and two state board members.
“This is not the state board telling any local district what you shall do,” said education commissioner Randy Watson.
He said the task force recommendations were prompted by local districts asking for help in researching the topic and developing guidelines.
“Those guidelines, those would go to districts then to assist them if they choose to do anything, or whatever they might choose to do,” Watson said. “But it would not be to say the state board is enacting these on behalf of any school district.”
Board members indicated that some districts are already banning phones during the entire school days, while other districts are taking an approach of personal responsibility.
“I’ve been visiting with several school districts who have already adopted bell-to-bell policies,” said board member Jim Porter, R-Fredonia. “I think in many cases, school districts are ahead of us on this.”
Board member Michelle Dombrosky, R-Olathe, said it is “definitely a local issue” that involves parents and children.
“I’m going to go back to parental parent involvement, parental authority, because it’s a private cellphone that the parent has given to their child,” Dombrosky said. “Most of the times the parents are going to own that phone, so they’ve given that to that child for whatever reason. I’m talking to districts, and a lot of them are are doing the doing it right, they’re giving them some leeway on that and letting them be responsible.”
Kansas Legislature has considered getting involved
Lawmakers earlier this year took a look at a bill that would ban students from using phones during school hours. That House Bill 2641 had a hearing in the House Education Committee but didn’t advance the bill.
The bill had several proponents. But it was also opposed by the state board, the Kansas Association of School Boards and the Kansas National Education Association, which all argued that policies on electronic devices should be left to local control.
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.