Granby May Go Further On Student Cellphones

GRANBY, CT — Granby high school students already have to keep their phones off and away during class. School officials are now considering whether that rule should go further.

A technology update presented to the Board of Education on Oct. 7 identified “reduced access to personal technology at the high school” as one of the district’s next areas of focus.

No new policy was adopted. The presentation was listed for information and discussion, and the district has not released proposed policy language or a timeline for possible changes.

Granby’s current rules require students in prekindergarten through eighth grade to keep phones off and away for the entire school day. High school students must keep them off and away during class but may have access to them at other times.

The district’s review follows updated state guidance adopted in August. The Connecticut State Board of Education recommended that districts establish bell-to-bell restrictions on personal technology, with exceptions for instruction, disabilities and health needs.

The state guidance is not a mandate. Local school boards are responsible for deciding what restrictions to adopt and how they will be enforced.

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Granby is also reviewing how much time students spend using school-issued devices.

Students in prekindergarten through second grade generally have access to four or five iPads in each classroom. Students in grades three through five use Chromebooks for practice and applying what they have learned, while students in grades six through 12 have individual access to Chromebooks.

The district said it plans to monitor classroom screen time and return to paper-based work when appropriate. Officials also want to encourage students to choose face-to-face interaction over screens.

Those plans reflect a broader shift in the state’s recommendations. Connecticut’s updated guidance asks schools to consider not only personal phones but also how frequently students use educational technology during the day.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that 50.4 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 spent at least four hours a day using screens outside of schoolwork. The data covered a typical weekday between July 2021 and December 2023.

Artificial intelligence is another part of Granby’s technology review.

The district presentation said approximately half of Granby Memorial High School students use AI tools such as Google Gemini each week. The presentation did not explain how the district calculated that figure.

Students in grades six through 12 may use artificial intelligence when a teacher determines it is appropriate. Google Gemini and NotebookLM are among the tools currently approved for district use.

Granby’s guidelines prohibit students from using AI to copy work, present false information, violate another person’s privacy or commit plagiarism. Teachers are expected to explain when AI is allowed and demonstrate how it can be used appropriately.

The district also requires approval before a new AI platform can be used with students. That review is intended to address privacy, security and instructional concerns before student information is entered into a new service.

Granby’s recently adopted strategic plan calls for the district to publish AI guidelines and develop age-appropriate recommendations for classroom screen time. The technology presentation did not include a date for either document.

Any decision to expand Granby Memorial High School’s phone restrictions would come later. For now, the district is weighing whether its classroom-only rule goes far enough.

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