GRANADA – Granada-Huntley-East Chain (CHEC) Superintendent Doug Storbeck and Middle/High School Principal Andy Walden presented information for potential reduction of smartphone usage during Thursday’s school board meeting.

Storbeck said there’s already been some discussion regarding addition of cell phone pouches into classrooms so students don’t have them during class. Walden said it is important they have this conversation now because legislation regarding it is already in motion.

“All likelihood it will pass come the end of the session,” he said. “This language would prohibit cell phones and smartwatches in school for students in grades K through 8 and prohibits cell phones and smartwatches in classrooms for students in grades 9 through 12. I see this as the legislature identifying that technology in the classroom is a concern and a growing problem.”

When students engage in their cell phones, Walden said it can create a repeating cycle of engagement.

“If a child goes through puberty doing a lot of archery, painting, video games, etc, those activities will have a lasting structural training change in the brain,” he said “Especially if they are rewarded. You talk to any one of the students, they get extreme enjoyment from being on the cell phone, which then leads to more use of the cell phone.”

Walden has been participating in a book study of Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation”, which discusses cell phone use and the impacts it is having on children.

From the introduction of cell phones to today, Walden presented graphs from the book that showed a continued increase in depression and anxiety, self-harm and suicide rates among youth. In presenting potential options for curtailing cell phone usage in schools, Walden said he does not want it to be purely a punishment mindset.

“I view it as we’re looking out for the overall health of our children and our students,” he said. “I think if we can limit their access to screen time, social media time, I think that ultimately has a benefit on who they are as a person and their academic achievement.”

Three options were presented for consideration at the meeting: one is to keep their cell phone policy as is, two is to institute phone pouches, and three is to institute pouches and install punishments for those who disobey.

“We do recognize it doesn’t matter what you do, what policy you put in place, what law there is in our society, there are people who’re going to get around,” Storbeck said. “I’ve seen school administrators and districts struggle because of the dynamic between staff and students. I don’t want cell phones to be a situation where it’s an us versus them thing.”

Board Member Brad Mattison said that for a stricter cell phone policy to work, the adults will need to be role models.

“We have to lead the way,” he said. “[We can’t] sit here and tell the kids, ‘You can’t be on the phone,’ and then we’re on ours checking Facebook.”

As this was a discussion, no action was taken on cell phone policies.

In other news:

— A building systems software update was approved by the school board. The current software is outdated and losing its official tech support in December. The system runs from one central computer, meaning any errors with the system or computer would leave the heating and cooling systems uncontrollable. The replacement software installation will cost between 60 and 70 thousand dollars, but is web-based and would be controllable from multiple different access points. Building and Grounds Manager Joe Maidl said they considered other alternatives but determined they would be as expensive and less beneficial.

— Storbeck said he has begun fiddling with four-day school week ideas, with an open day on Monday for programs like academic interventions. The school days would run an extra 30 minutes, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Storbeck said there would have to be discussions regarding Monday childcare and how activities would work around this day, but it would provide an incentive for educators to choose GHEC. This is in the earliest stages of consideration, and Storbeck said if it moved forward they would consult the community and look for approval from them.