Information about Technology and Device Use in LMSD

Dr. Ranelli shared the letter below with
LMSD Families on Friday, May 1, 2026

Dear LMSD Community,

Our LMSD Administration is listening to and hearing a wide range of perspectives from community members about the use of technology and its impact on students. That is why I want to share information about some of the work we are doing in this area, as well as timelines for when potential changes could go into effect as we plan for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.

Across our schools, we have wonderful teachers who have continuously prioritized human interaction and relationships, as they make decisions about when and how technology is used to support learning goals. Our administrators and staff value partnership with parents and guardians, as we all strive to achieve a balanced digital culture to benefit our students and prepare them for the future.

Under Consideration as We Plan for Next Year

●      Review the need to assign individual devices to elementary students

●      Institute specific parameters for in-school device use by grade level bands

●      Provide teachers in-class, real-time control and oversight of student technology use

●      Introduce an app to allow parents/guardians to monitor their students’ daily use of district technology and device use

●      Provide a tool for parents/guardians to further restrict use of District technology resources and device functionality at home (grades 5-12)

●      Strengthen web filters to further block inappropriate, non-educational content

●      Establish a reporting method for parents/guardians to share websites for filtering consideration

●      Develop alternative instruction options for elementary students during emergency school-closure days

●      Revise and restructure District Policy and Administrative Regulations to enhance clarity and align with new expectations

Please understand that implementation of changes like these requires a thoughtful and deliberate process, involving multiple teachers and administrators to ensure that we continue to meet curriculum standards and expectations. That work is underway, and we will communicate further with the LMSD community about changes that are being implemented.

Additionally, I want to share some practices that are already occurring in our schools.

Already in Place

●      Technology use that is developmentally appropriate (increasing use by grade level) and intentionally aligned with learning goals to engage critical thinking through creation, problem-solving, design, collaboration and social interaction.

○      We continue to seek guidance from professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.

●      Digital citizenship lessons for K-12 students, Digital Citizenship Week (annually), and related lessons about screentime and safe use of technology.

●      Parent/guardian resources to support understanding around safe and responsible use of technology, as well as public presentations to the Board, Parent Ed sessions and other forums.

●      Off and Away, limiting access to and use of personal technology devices at school

○       K-8: No access to personal devices during the school day

○      High School: Limited access during non-classroom time only

○      All grades: No ability to connect personal devices to the LMSD network

●       No recreational use of technology during school

○      No technology device use during indoor or outdoor recess (K-6)

○      No technology device use as a reward

○      No recreational technology device use during “downtime,” such as after assignments are complete.

●      In compliance with applicable laws, filtering tools to limit access to harmful content, continuous review and removal of student access to social media and other distractive or inappropriate sites on District devices.

●      Solicitor review of technology resources to ensure compliance with applicable laws regulations to protect student privacy.

If you believe your child’s experience is inconsistent with what is described above or see any discrepancies in these areas, please share your concern with your child’s teacher and/or building administrator.

I am grateful to the community, our staff, and our administrators as we collaborate on this important ongoing work and prepare for changes for the upcoming school year. I will send an update to the community on all the above considerations prior to the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Frank Ranelli
Superintendent