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The policy desk
What’s moving in phones
The debate over phones, screens and the school day.
The superintendent said acts of vandalism at bus vendor Durham School Services hit about 50 routes and 1,800 students during the week of October 12. Other vendors took over routes while Durham rebuilt its fleet.
New Policy 8636 on artificial intelligence had its first reading on September 30, 2026 and was on the October 14 agenda for second and final reading, with a motion and a second recorded. The recording's captions do not clearly show the vote count.
On October 14, 2026 the board gave a first reading to policy 8113, titled extreme heat condition days. The policy committee planned to meet again the following Monday.
At the October 14, 2026 meeting the district's technology leader said elementary iPads now go home only Monday to Thursday, and not over weekends or school breaks. Devices begin going home in grade 3.
At the Oct 13, 2026 meeting, parents, a student and teachers asked for less screen time and more limits on classroom devices, including in grades K-2. Administrators said the district has no set screen-time limits and does not give students generative AI tools, though some approved apps have AI features. Board members said the topic will go to a policy meeting.
On Oct 13, 2026 Superintendent Luvelle Brown said the district plans to lengthen the school day starting in 2027-28 under the new teacher contract: 30 more minutes in elementary schools and 15 more in secondary schools. He plans to bring a recommended schedule to the board in February, with community meetings and a survey this fall. On the recording he said a first community meeting was tentatively set for Oct 22 and another for Nov 10, with a community survey hoped for in November or December.
At the October 13, 2026 board meeting, staff said Webster has an AI toolkit and staff guidelines, finished an hour-long AI training in all 11 buildings, and is looking at draft regulations. The only AI rule found for students is that unapproved AI use counts as cheating in the Code of Conduct.
Students may not use phones, smartwatches or tablets anywhere at school all day, including lunch and passing time. The board had a first reading Oct. 13, 2026 of a revised Acceptable Use Policy 4526 and Internet Safety Policy 4526.1, with a vote planned Nov. 16. Draft additions include a rule that no tool that handles student personal data can be used until a privacy contract is signed, and a ban on VPNs that get around school filters.
On October 8, 2026 a trustee asked the board to look at its generative AI policy (policy 8636). Others asked that the computer use and ed-tech policies be reviewed too. Discussion is planned for the next meeting. This follows parent comments about screen time and school devices and a February 2026 technology report.
The board is contracting with the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying (September 25, 2026 to June 30, 2027). On October 8 the group presented plans for a districtwide anti-bullying task force, climate and culture surveys, student listening sessions, staff training and parent nights. The district reported 29 bullying (DASA) reports in 2025-26, with 15 found true.
On October 8, 2026 the board waived a second reading and adopted Policy 3421 on Title IX sex discrimination and harassment. It was first read on September 24.
The board approved a senior open-campus pilot for the fourth quarter of the 2026–27 school year. The superintendent will establish the rules and report to the board by its first June 2027 meeting.
A board resolution declares the district a Safe Zone. Staff must ask non-local officers, including ICE, to wait outside and notify the superintendent and district lawyer before any access or release of student information. The district will protect student data, post multilingual notices and train staff yearly. Residents asked on October 7, 2026 for regular progress reports.
The district plans to pilot an app and web platform for school news, events, announcements, and secure family-staff messages beginning November 2. The proposed 60-day trial would include Brookside, Athena Middle, and Athena High School; email would remain available, and the district would use family and staff feedback before deciding on any broader rollout.
The district's outside auditor reported on October 5, 2026 that Lancaster has no formal policy on how staff and students may use AI tools. Management agreed to review and revise policies and train staff by June 30, 2027.
After a Sept. 29 Board meeting and a Sept. 30 forum, the district promised six more contracted security guards through June 2027, a new social worker and drug counselor, weapons-detection equipment, and phone pouches to enforce the state ban on phones all day. It is also talking with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office about a school resource officer. A metal-detector proposal was due to go to the Board on Oct. 20, 2026. The district's tracker lists 22 steps: 8 done and 14 on track as of the collected page.
Policy 5695 bars students from using personal phones, smartwatches and other internet devices from arrival to dismissal, including lunch and passing time. Elementary students keep devices off in backpacks. Middle school students store them in lockers. High school students use backpacks or lockers. Exceptions cover health needs, translation, emergencies, IEP/504 plans and approved class uses. Students cannot be suspended out of school only for breaking this rule. The Board revised the policy on September 17, 2026 and adopted the rules (5695-R) on October 1, 2026.
Stimson Middle School administrators showed three options for moving to a nine-period day. The fullest option would cost about $619,476 a year for 5.5 more teachers. Cheaper options would add about 4.5 or 1 teacher. The goals are world language for all, longer music classes, more electives and lunch workshops.
On September 30, 2026 the board discussed moving school-vote polling places from five sites (Eagle, Medford, South Ocean, Saxton and Tremont) to three middle schools: Saxton, Oregon and South Ocean. Staff said it could save about $4,000 per election and cut election workers from about 33 to 12. No vote was taken.
The district says students can use only a few approved, supervised AI tools (MagicSchool and Snorkl) and cannot use public tools like ChatGPT or companion chatbots on district devices. The board adopted an AI policy (8636) in early 2025, staff presented an AI guidebook on June 4, 2026, and the district posted an online AI FAQ in September. At June and September meetings, some parents asked for a pause on student-facing AI.
The high school principal told the board on September 24, 2026 that almost half of last year's disciplinary referrals were for cell phone infractions under the new state law and board policy 5695, which bars phones all school day. The principal said the rise in phone referrals did not track with the number of suspensions.
On September 24, 2026 trustees said the policy committee needs to discuss the pros and cons of artificial intelligence in schools and set guardrails. In May the district had said it does not use AI with students in school but offered family workshops on AI starting May 26.