As the national and regional conversation around smartphones in schools continues to grow, we feel that the Roaring Fork School District should adopt an official phone-free policy for the longterm betterment of our students' K-12 educations and wellbeing. 

Current research has revealed that students benefit immensely from the sustained absence of smartphones throughout the entire duration of the school day. Studies show that without the constant mental pull of their smartphones, students' ability to focus is dramatically improved. Between classes and at lunch, students in phone-free schools are also better equipped to develop critical social skills without phones vying for their attention. Our students in the Roaring Fork School District deserve the very best learning conditions that we as a community can offer--and this means giving them the chance to go phone-free during their school days as soon as possible.

RFSD would not be the first in Colorado or the nation to adopt a phone-free policy. We encourage the community and school board to review the Aspen High School Phone Policy, the Colorado Springs D11 Phone Policy, and cellphone policy trends in some of Colorado's largest districts. We recognize that thoughtful attention to the way in which a district-level policy is enacted may take a great deal of discussion among district stakeholders.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser's recent announcement about grants of up to $50,000 for school districts that help students reduce phone use during the school day incentivizes a phone-free policy adoption further.

We call on our school community and board to take necessary steps toward phone-free education now, to protect our students' learning experiences for generations to come.

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