Share This Article
On Monday, January 27, the Sudbury Public Schools School Committee voted to adopt an updated policy regarding student use of technology. The new policy, labeled JICJ – Student use of Technology, explicitly forbids the use of any personal electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, at any time during the school day.
The use of Personal Electronic Devices for grades PreK-8 in all school buildings during the School Day is strictly prohibited. Families and caregivers should not send Personal Electronic Devices to school with students with the expectation that they will have access to them at any point during the School Day.
PAGE 5
The policy does allow for exemptions for some students based on need:
“The school administration may grant exemptions based upon need. Exemptions and exceptions will be made for all students who require Personal Electronic Devices for accessibility, medical need, and/or as an accommodation. These instances will be set forth in a document created in accordance with applicable federal and state special education and nondiscrimination laws.”
The policy applies throughout the district at all grade levels, and the committee instructed Superintendent Brad Crozier to develop procedures for evaluation of exemptions. The policy also governs the use of district-provided technology.
The committee also made a few minor edits during the meeting. The final version will eventually go into the SPS Policy Manual.
Committee deliberation begins at minute 23:00 in the below video.