Communication Devices
From their usefulness as educational tools to their ability to distract students, smart phones and wearable tech (smart watches, earbuds and smart glasses) have been the subject of a great deal of discussion, research and policy-making for schools across the country. In 2026, the DCSD Board of Education adopted a policy which provides guidance for the use of communication devices at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Below, you can find links to research, an archive of the information-gathering and community-input stages in DCSD, as well as links to the policy and its implementation guidelines.
Podcast: Phones in Class? Not So Fast
In this April 2026 podcast episode, DCSD Chief of Staff Steve Colella and ThunderRidge High School Principal Liz Walhof discuss the communication device issue, the policy, and most importantly, the practices of students, teachers, parents and district leaders when it comes to phones and other types of devices.
New Policy: Student Use of Communication Devices in School
On April 21, 2026, the Board approved the policy with modifications from previous drafts. You can watch the discussion on the DCSD YouTube page. The presentation slides included new information as well as the slides from the March 3 Board presentation. The full, approved policy is below.
For policies such as this this, the Superintendent's Regulation (also known as the "R policy") provides more details on the operational aspects.