Follow Up - Digital Wellness and Chromebook Use
October 19, 2026
Dear Colleagues, Parents, and Guardians,
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the parents, students, and teachers who followed up and completed our recent surveys regarding screen time and Chromebook use. Your thoughtful feedback and active participation are essential as we navigate these important topics together.
Digital literacy is extremely important for us and all our students—not only for today’s job world, but also for future careers that do not yet exist. However, if there is one point we can all agree on, it is that balance and wellness cannot be lost in this effort. The challenges facing our children in today’s digital world (cybersecurity, online safety, sleep deprivation, evolving artificial intelligence, social media influences, extended screen times, etc.) cannot be addressed by any one person, profession, or institution alone.
Reading books, watching documentaries on the impact of screen time on children, and establishing districtwide Chromebook use times were never intended to be the start and end of this conversation—they are merely a starting point for the conversation and partnership on this topic.
Survey Findings & Chromebook Time Updates
Thank you again for your specific feedback regarding Chromebook use times and homework.
Elementary Level: There were little to no concerns raised with the current established Chromebook use times. It was noted that homework at the elementary level is primarily completed off devices, averaging approximately 30 minutes or so, with little homework assigned on the Chromebook. As such, elementary Chromebooks will continue to be accessible to students until 9:00 PM every night.
Junior High School (JHS): The reported homework time varied, averaging approximately one hour. About 20% of respondents expressed concerns regarding the previous 10:00 PM shut-off time due to evening programs, while acknowledging the vital need for rest and proper sleep at this age. To better support our students, 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students will now have access until 11:00 PM.
Senior High School (SHS): Feedback was mixed, with an acknowledgement of the importance of rest as it relates to time management. High school students will continue to have access to their Chromebooks until midnight (12:00 AM).
Technical Corrections & Next Steps
Our IT department has corrected the inaccurate Chromebook shut-off times for JHS and SHS students who were mistakenly flagged with elementary account settings or who were using a younger sibling’s device. Our IT team has followed up directly with the affected families to confirm that these issues have been resolved.
Our committees will also continue discussions around the recommendations you provided, including:
Reducing Chromebook use at home for Primary (K-2 grades) and intermediate (3-5).
Looking into “Tech Free” days.
Provide district-wide refresher professional development sessions on Classwize screen monitoring, specifically utilizing Focus Mode and restricting unauthorized games during class time.
Coordinate with IT to block proxy extensions and bypass domains (such as InvisiProxyLTS).
Offer informational workshops to assist parents and educators alike in supporting our children and finding balance in a digital world.
Establishing a healthy balance between digital and non-digital learning sources for our children.
Request follow-up input in about 6 to 8 weeks.
We encourage you to continue these conversations in your homes, workplaces, schools, and community. Please stay engaged in the screen time decisions that will shape our children’s futures.
Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to our students’ success and well-being.
Sincerely,
Dr. Yiendhy Farrelly
Superintendent of Schools