Windsor-Severance school district plans virtual town halls on cell-phone use in schools
Sessions are scheduled for noon-1 p.m. July 8 and 7:30-8:30 a.m. July 10. Online registration is required and available through the school district's website. The Weld RE-4 school district serves Severance, Windsor and west Greeley.
Colorado's state legislature passed a law in May requiring schools and school districts across the state to 'adopt and implement a policy concerning student communication device possession and use during the school day' by July 1, 2026.
More: Windsor, Severance schools will have new start, end times for 2025-26
The law was prompted by studies that found two-thirds of American teenagers use social media every day, with one-third using it 'almost constantly,' according to the legislation. Another study found that American teenagers who spent more than three hours a day on social media doubled their risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression, the school district news release said.
Weld RE-4 Superintendent Michelle Scallon said district staff spent the final two months of the 2024-25 school year studying data, researching other school districts' work on the topic and gathering input from parents, students and staff.
'We look forward to sharing this information and gathering feedback from our community on draft recommendations for cell phone use next year,' Scallon said in the news release.
Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, x.com/KellyLyell, threads.net/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Weld RE-4 School District plans virtual town halls on cell-phone use
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