Boulder Valley sees gains from phone restrictions
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Boulder Valley principals are largely feeling positive about the district's new cellphone restrictions, though there are still problems with consistent enforcement.
Why it matters: BVSD has had nearly two years to learn what works while many other Colorado school districts have only just begun implementing phone restrictions.
State of play: State law requires all school districts in Colorado adopt district-wide policies on cellphones starting this year.
- But even before the legislation, Boulder Valley School District restricted bell-to-bell cellphone use for high school students starting in January 2025.
Zoom in: At a summer BVSD board meeting, several principals and district officials said feedback from staff and students has been largely positive.
- "All of a sudden, hacky sack is back … They are connecting, and not electronically," Monarch High principal Greg Doan told the BVSD board during a recent meeting.
Between the lines: Schools reported that providing activities like board games or ping pong during recess and lunch was a major factor in helping kids stay off phones.
Yes, but: Some bigger schools, like Fairview and Boulder, said they were having more trouble enforcing the policy because of larger student bodies and campuses.
- Principals cited inconsistencies in how teachers enforce the rules, saying that needs to be addressed.
What they're saying: John McCluskey, principal of Boulder's New Vista High, told the school board the key is getting students to buy into the upside of staying off their phones rather than making them feel like they're being punished.
- "You didn't break any rules … Our society handed you this phone; we just changed our minds on whether it's good for you or not," McCluskey said. "Get in with us on that."
What we're watching: Some BVSD board members brought up locking devices away, a topic that was broached in the Colorado gubernatorial primary.
- But BVSD assistant superintendent Robbyn Fernandez said the difference between just limiting cellphone use and actually taking them away for the entire day was "a very different conversation and a very different approach."
Friction point: Board members and staff say people increasingly rely on mobile phones for things like blood sugar monitoring, hearing aids, reading disabilities or simply checking the time.
- Doan said students need to be consulted: "I think the kids are good advocates for the world they live in."
The bottom line: BVSD spokesperson Randy Barber stressed that compliance was never going to happen overnight, and that the district is collecting data and evaluating areas where more funding might be needed.
- "This is a process of creating a culture change," Barber said.