We, the undersigned parents, students, educators, and community members of Westport, CT, support maintaining focused, distraction-free classrooms. However, family communication during emergencies is non-negotiable.

Westport’s proposed “bell-to-bell” phone ban at Staples High School is scheduled to take effect soon, yet families still lack a clear, reliable way to reach their children in an emergency.

We’re asking the Westport, CT Board of Education to pause enforcement until transparent emergency communication protocols are published, tested, and shared with parents and students.

Safety and learning go hand in hand. Let’s get this right before implementation.

Our Requests

1. Emergency Communication Protocols

Publish clear instructions on how parents and guardians can immediately reach their children and how students can contact home during lockdowns, evacuations, or other critical incidents.

2. Student Access for Urgent Situations

Establish a transparent, respectful process for students to make or receive urgent calls without stigma or delay in cases involving safety, health, or family emergencies.

3. Equity and Accommodations

Document and communicate accommodations for students who, due to medical, legal, or safety reasons, require continued access to communication devices.

4. Crisis Readiness and Drills

Ensure the phone-free policy does not interfere with safety drills, reunification procedures, or real-time emergency instructions.

5. Review and Transparency

Commit to monitoring and reporting on the effects of the phone-free policy, both educational and operational, after one academic quarter, with community input before permanent adoption.

Our Position
This petition is not a rejection of the district’s educational goals. It is a request for sequencing and safeguards to ensure that student safety and family communication come first. 

Before enforcing a total phone ban, the community deserves:

1. Clarity on how communication will function in an emergency,
2. Assurance that no student or family will be left without a line of contact, and
3. Confidence that the policy serves both safety and learning.

We respectfully petition the Westport Board of Education to:

1. Suspend enforcement of the Staples High bell-to-bell phone ban until the safeguards above are finalized and published. 
2. Release the communication protocol on the WPS and Staples websites, as well as in student handbooks. 
3. Review the policy after one academic quarter and report results to the community.

Why This Matters
No parent should ever feel powerless to reach their child in a moment of fear or uncertainty.

Before this policy goes into effect, Westport must ensure that emergency communication is immediate, transparent, and reliable.

This isn’t about convenience, it’s about safety, trust, and preparedness.

Please join us in advocating for a policy that ensures both educational excellence and necessary communication provisions. Sign this petition to make our voices heard and foster a safer, more secure space for our children.