It’s tough to teach when classrooms are full of visitors from all over the world, but that’s about the size of it when smartphones are allowed in school, Superintendent Brian Dunn said at the conclusion of his presentation Tuesday night at the Pine Bush Board of Education meeting.

Dunn drew from myriad sources and studies, consolidating research on the dangers to the district’s kids associated with hour upon hour of phone use.

Dunn, for now, is staying neutral on an outright ban on smartphones in district schools. He’ll wait to see what comes of a school board committee and community forums on the pros and cons of phones in schools. The board committed to both those study groups Tuesday night.

He did say, however, that halfway measures such permitting phone use at certain times or in certain places are doomed to fail. He said even the presence of a phone in pocket or backpack is a distraction. The student is just waiting for it to buzz or vibrate, raising anxiety about what’s being missed.

Board members said that whatever comes of the investigations, the solution must fit the Pine Bush community. All its stakeholders must have a say, and that likely rules out simply taking a policy that has worked elsewhere and grafting onto the district’s code of conduct.

Dunn quoted U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, saying that based on a review at the federal level, “there isn’t enough evidence that it (social media) is safe for kids.”

Dunn also said he contacted the State Education Department for guidance only to be told there is no state policy, and it’s up to each district.

“So here we are,” Dunn told the crowd of a couple of dozen people.

Orange County and local officials are supportive, Dunn said. Even the head of the Pine Bush teachers union is behind the effort.

This year, Dunn has focused on the repercussions of smartphone use hand in hand with his goal of improving student culture, making it less hostile and more in tune with learning.

He began the push with an invitation to Thomas Kersting, a psychotherapist and author, who in February told district educators, parents and kids that time spent riveted to phones stunts social skills, isolates family members, hinders self-awareness and can even rewire young brains.

Pushback will be part of any suggestion that phones be completely banned. A couple of parents raised issues during the public participation period Tuesday night, telling the board that they alone set the rules for smartphone use. One parent said her child would be lost without being able to send text messages home during the school day.

Bans have been successful in other districts. The Washington Post recently covered an example at Connecticut middle school where an assistant principal banned phones outright. He did so over student and parent objections, but he told the Post, the result was like reducing sugar consumption. “In a matter of months, you start feeling better,” he told the paper.

No Objections to 2024-25 Budget

Assistant Superintendent for Business Joseph Lenz took the small crowd at the meeting through the administration’s proposed 2024-25 budget, which has been approved by the school board.

The district proposes spending $141.5 million, up 4.33 percent from this year’s $135.6 million budget. The money will cover all the programs in place for the current school year and the addition of two school psychologists and one behavioral assistant. Just under 78 percent of the budget is targeted for instruction. Capital costs represent 11.3 percent of spending, and administrative costs amount to 10.9 percent.

At $63.3 million, the local property tax levy will cover 44.8 percent of the needed revenue. At $72.5 million, state aid will cover 51.3 percent. $2.4 million from other sources will cover 1.7 percent. To help keep taxes down, the budget calls for taking $3 million from the unallocated fund balance to balance the budget. The tax levy will rise 2.96 percent. The district’s cap would have allowed a 4.05 percent rise.

Given the opportunity, no one from the public objected to the numbers.

The vote on the budget and election of two board members will be held May 21. This year, two election districts replace the four districts of previous elections. The change was made because the district could not staff four polling sites, Lenz said.

District No. 1 covers voters in Crawford, Gardiner, Montgomery and Shawangunk. They will vote at Pine Bush High School. District No. 2 covers Mamakating, Mount Hope and Wallkill. Voters in those towns will go to Circleville Elementary School.

Two board seats are up for election. Incumbents Matthew Watkins and Ross Tompkins will be joined on the ballot by Shauna Best, Lisa Dyer, Peter Agro and Phillip Salinardi.