South Jersey school district plans to change new policy that limits student hours on school-issued laptops
DEPTFORD, N.J. (CBS) -- A South Jersey school district plans to make changes after parents criticized a new policy that limits the hours students will be able to use their school-issued laptops.
The Deptford Township School District sent out a letter last Thursday informing parents that starting March 1, the district will remotely render school-issued laptops inoperable, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for elementary school students, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for middle school students and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for high school students.
District administrators said they're making the change after they noticed an increase in students using their school-issued Chromebooks during later evening hours, including, in some cases, well past midnight.
"As part of our responsibility for student wellbeing, we want to ensure we are not enabling unhealthy behaviors by allowing access to school-owned devices during hours where children and teens should be resting and recovering," the school district wrote in its letter.
However, some parents, particularly of high school students, criticized the policy.
"I think they need to readjust their timeframe," Bob Jackson, a Deptford Township High School parent, said. "Kids being in crew, sports, band, other activities, they're not getting home till 8:30, 9:00 at night."
Besides school activities, Jeanine Donohoe, a Deptford Township High School parent, said some high school students have part-time jobs.
"I could see maybe for younger children, but for high school students, it does pose an issue for when it's available," Donohoe said.
However, Ashley Plummer, a Deptford Township Middle School parent, said the new policy could teach good time management.
"I have teenagers, and they get so focused on, in general, their own games and stuff at home that they're lacking sleep," Plummer said. "If kids that are worried about getting homework done because they're other things before that and cramming things in, they're forced to not be able to do that, so they have to get it done sooner."
The district did not make the superintendent available for an interview, but in a statement, he wrote that after hearing feedback from parents and students, "we have preliminary steps in place to continue gathering information and make equitable adjustments to this plan before it takes effect."
