What's happening: Tamalpais Union High School District is rolling out a phone-free school day this fall, "from the first bell to the last and including lunch," using NuKase-brand cases to secure devices, according to Tam High Principal Sam Pasarow's July 31 letter to families.
The policy takes effect August 19, the first day of classes. At the district's August 4 board meeting, Superintendent Courtney Goode told trustees that staff had "tagged and inventoried all of our new case lockable devices in preparation for our Phone-Free School Initiative."
Why it matters: The district approved a $112,906 contract in April for NuKase pouches, one per student, on a 3-2 vote, the Briefing reported in May. It's a district cost, not a fee to families, and TUHSD has joined litigation against social media companies aiming to help recover it. Students who need to reach a parent during the day will use a phone in the administrative office, Superintendent Courtney Goode told the board in May.
The context: The rollout lands as TUHSD heads into a board election. Three of the board's five seats are up this November, Goode told trustees at the August 4 meeting, adding later in the same meeting that "there will be at least one new board member" regardless of how the race shakes out. Incumbents Cynthia Roenisch and Kevin Saavedra filed for reelection, according to Marin County candidate filing data. Incumbent Emily Uhlhorn did not file.
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