The Wauwatosa School District is implementing a new policy that will block students from accessing their district-issued Chromebooks during the overnight hours, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The change, announced Aug. 18 in an email to parents, is "intended to help students establish healthy boundaries with technology use and promote positive sleep habits," Beth Kimmel, the district's instructional technology coordinator, said in the email.
A subsequent email from the district on Aug. 19 said the policy for high school students would be adjusted to allow them an additional hour of night-time use. Their Chromebooks will shut down at midnight.
New restrictions on students' Chromebooks come near the start of a school year in which the district also is rolling out a more restrictive policy on student phone use during school hours. The Wauwatosa School Board voted unanimously in June, after collecting feedback from students, parents and school staff, to require students to keep all personal communications devices "off their person" for the entire school day. At the time of the vote, district noted it was responding to "the rapid, social and technological changes reshaping our lives."
The 2025-26 school year begins Sept. 2 in Wauwatosa schools.
In her Aug. 18 message, Kimmel provided an explanation of how the Chromebook policy will be implemented.
"A notification will appear on the Chromebook screen one minute prior to shutdown each night, allowing students to save any work in progress," she said. "We encourage all students to plan ahead and manage their time effectively to complete school assignments and balance other responsibilities, such as extracurricular activities, family commitments, and personal downtime, before the nightly shutdown."
The overnight restrictions on Chromebook use will not apply more generally to students' Google accounts, which still will be available to students who access those accounts through other devices as needed.
"This change is two-fold: one, it reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the well-being of our students while fostering responsible digital citizenship, and two, it is in response to family feedback around 24-hour access to school-issued devices," Kimmel said. "We appreciate the partnership of families in reinforcing healthy habits at home and helping students prioritize rest, focus, and balance in their daily routines."
In the follow-up email, saying high-schoolers would get an additional hour at night to use their Chromebooks, the district said the adjustment was intended to "better support high school students who are engaged in extracurricular activities, employment, or other responsibilities that may extend later into the evening while still encouraging healthy boundaries with technology and prioritizing rest."
The district also is preparing to begin enforcing its new in-school phone restrictions for the coming school year, and some preliminary information about that plan is available on its website. Prohibited devices during school hours include smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers and smart watches.
If students are found with such devices during the school day, the devices will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day, with escalating parental involvement as violations persist, according to a summary of potential disciplinary actions. Further information on the policy is available here.
"This plan will include exceptions for students who have disability and/or health-related needs that require specific PCD use (e.g., diabetes management)," the district said in is June message after adopting the policy.
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