Last fall, Battle Ground Public Schools conducted a ThoughtExchange to gather ideas about student use of cellphones during school, school start times, school libraries and more. More than 2,200 people responded, including parents/guardians, students, staff members and community members. Thank you to everyone who participated! Your input helps guide decisions on these topics.
Key findings
Cellphones
Most respondents said to allow phones/smart devices on campuses during lunches, passing times and before/after school, but require them to be on silent/put away in classrooms, as well as continue the prohibition on phone/smart device use in bathrooms/locker rooms.
Most people disagreed that cellphone use during school is necessary to support student learning and engagement.
Depending on the severity and frequency of the infraction, the top choice for responding to cellphone policy violations was a parent/guardian notification, followed by the phone being taken away and a verbal warning.
Most people said that they would follow/uphold greater cellphone restrictions and support consequences for not following the rules.
When asked what else is important to consider on this topic, many people raised concerns about distractions, social skills and mental health. Others advocated for controlled use, especially for emergencies and educational purposes. Suggestions include a balanced approach and consistent enforcement of policies.
Next step: BGPS will gather further input from advisory groups and make any procedural changes this spring. Please watch for more information.
School start times
Most respondents are satisfied with current start times and recommended keeping them as they are. (Note: BGPS already pushed back high school start times in 2010.)
Most said that a change in start time would not be positive for them.
A majority said that if school started later in the morning, the effect on them getting to school on time would be neutral.
Students arriving home later as a result of starting school later would be negative for most respondents.
When asked what else is important to consider on this topic, responses were mixed. While some respondents supported later start times for improved student well-being and alignment with developmental needs, others raised concerns about the impact on extracurricular activities, family routines and work schedules. Some participants suggest aligning start times across different school levels, while others prefer maintaining the current start times.
Based on these results, BGPS does not plan to make any changes to school start times in the short term. We will re-evaluate start times in the future if needed.
School libraries
When asked about their familiarity with school libraries, questions and thoughts, most respondents indicated a mix of concerns and opinions. While some people were worried about inappropriate content and advocated for stricter control, others strongly opposed censorship and emphasized the importance of diverse viewpoints. Additionally, there were calls for parental monitoring and equitable distribution of resources across schools, along with some expressions of general satisfaction with the current system.
The majority of respondents felt that parents/guardians being able to review the books that their child has checked out from the school library provided sufficient control for families.
Next step: We shared information about how parents/guardians can review their child’s books and limit access to certain books if desired. The district also will expand the Instructional Materials Committee that reviews books that have been challenged. Finally, BGPS made changes to the process for responding to book challenges.