Dear MSAD 51 School Board,

As a group of concerned parents and members of the MSAD 51 community, we request that the School Board consider a revision of the Policy on Use of Personal Cellular Devices.

With the laudatory effort of the MSAD 51 School Board this year to focus on Mental Health and Wellness of its student, we believe that it is time to reconsider the current policy regarding use of cellular devices.  The most recent version of the Policy on Use of Personal Cellular Devices was written in 2010, with a subsequent revision in 2016. Since that time, global understanding of the significant impact of cellular devices in the school has evolved.

Many school districts nationwide (and in fact some entire states) are enacting complete bell to bell cell phone free schools in an effort to curb loneliness and mental health struggles in adolescents. Locally in Maine, the Bath school district has recently become cell phone free from bell to bell this year. Per reports from their administration, the benefits of this limitation have been widespread and inspiring.

We ask the MSAD 51 School Board to consider making all schools cell phone free from bell to bell.

We recognize the challenge and difficulty of implementing cell phone free schools. Ask most parents and teachers, however, and you will hear that we are already in difficult times: struggles to teach focus when an addicting technology is at hand constantly, worries about photography or filming while in educational spaces, and teaching in-person social interactions when online social media is so compelling are but a few of the challenges parents, teachers, and students face.

We sincerely appreciate your ongoing efforts focused on the well being of our children, and we look forward to the conversation this will open.

Sincerely,