This petition is to express concern regarding West Ada’s practice of sending home individual laptops or iPads with elementary students.

As K-5 parents in the district, we feel this practice is unnecessary and unsafe.

In most cases, children rarely need devices for school work at home and are needlessly carrying this heavy and expensive equipment to and from school everyday.

Of much greater concern, are the dangers of large amounts of screen time and of harmful online content. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent psychiatry states that too much screen time can lead to: sleep problems, lower grades in school, reading fewer books, less time with family and friends, not enough outdoor or physical activity, weight problems, mood problems, poor self-image and body image issues.

The Academy also states that while online, children may be exposed to: violence and risk-taking behaviors, sexual content, negative stereotypes, substance use, cyberbullies and predators. The Internet Watch Foundation reported 2021 as the worst year on record for child sexual abuse online.

Why risk any of these outcomes for elementary students in our district? As parents and educators it is our job to protect them, not potentially expose them to a number of detrimental and damaging experiences.

Of course, parents may choose to provide their children with an individual device, but this is not a decision that should be made by the school district.

We strongly encourage the district to reassess current policy and consider what is best practice for our elementary students.