Westport Moves Closer To New School Policy

WESTPORT, CT — Over the summer, Westport Public Schools "will draft a comprehensive implementation plan" for a cell phone ban at Staples High School, according to Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice.

Scarice has recommended a "bell-to-bell phone-free school day" at Staples, joining the district's elementary and middle schools, which already ban the use of cell phones by students. Final approval of the plan is expected this summer.

In a message to parents and the school community on Thursday, Scarice spelled out the district's next steps:

Last June, I recommended restricting access to smartphones and wearable technology during the school day across all grade levels.

Since then, our phone-free initiative has been successfully implemented across all elementary and middle schools. Students at these levels now benefit from a learning environment free from the distractions of personal devices.

Throughout this year, we have continued to study and discuss extending this approach to Staples High School, culminating in my final recommendationto the Board of Education on May 15 (see pages 14-36) to establish a bell-to-bell phone-free school day.

The Board expressed support for this direction, while requesting that a detailed implementation plan be developed before final approval.

We are now taking the next step.

This summer, the administrative team will draft a comprehensive implementation plan. This will address key considerations, including:

• Operational logistics and containment mechanisms
• Implications for classroom instruction
• Potential phased-in approaches and flexibility for upperclassmen
• Strategies to ensure clarity and consistency

Once the draft is complete, it will be reviewed and refined with input from a working group composed of faculty, students, and parents.

Importantly, the charge of this group is not to determine whether to move forward with a phone-free day, but to guide how we implement it effectively.

We look forward to working in partnership with our school community as we take this important step toward enhancing focus, well-being, and authentic engagement at Staples. We will continue to share updates as this work progresses.