South Jersey school district moving forward with controversial Chromebook policy

DEPTFORD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The Deptford Township School District is moving forward with its controversial Chromebook policy.

However, the district is making adjustments to when the Chromebooks will be turned off.

Starting March 1, they will be inactive starting at 9 p.m. for elementary students, 10 p.m. for middle schoolers, and 11:30 p.m. for high schoolers.

The devices will all turn back on at 6 a.m. the next day.

READ MORE: New Jersey school district looking to crack down on Chromebook use

The district shared several responses from the community over the policy, including concerns about the amount of homework, along with after school commitments that could impact usage on the Chromebook.

"We surveyed our staff, and according to these results, we believe the homework expectations are quite reasonable," Superintendent Kevin Kanauss said in a statement.

"Please keep in mind we have a morning PLP/enrichment period daily to work on assignments. While some believe schools should not dictate the terms of access to these devices, the reality is that by providing this tool, we are liable for how it's used-not only in a legal sense, but in an educational and ethical sense as well," the statement continued.

Some students have reportedly used the device to chat with other classmates in the middle of the night, according to the district.

The board says it hopes to discourage screen time and promote successful time management.

Read the full statement from Superintendent Kevin Kanauss below:

"Thank you for your feedback, both in support of and in opposition to our announcement about school Chromebook hours. I'd like to address some of the common responses we received.

The top concern was for students with afternoon/evening commitments, such as sports, activities, jobs, and family or faith-based obligations. We certainly understand the need to balance these commitments and fit everything into an increasingly limited amount of time.

Concerns were also raised about the amount of homework being assigned. We surveyed our staff, and according to these results, we believe the homework expectations are quite reasonable.

Please keep in mind we have a morning PLP/enrichment period daily to work on assignments. While some believe schools should not dictate the terms of access to these devices, the reality is that by providing this tool, we are liable for how it's used-not only in a legal sense, but in an educational and ethical sense as well. Access to non-educational platforms is already blocked on these devices. We are more concerned with students using legitimate tools in unintended ways.

For example, several students use Google Docs to chat with each other in the middle of the night. To put it directly, we are not in the business of assigning bedtimes or dictating household rules; however, we absolutely do have a duty to ensure the tools we hand out are used as intended.

With all that said, we recognize the need for some students to work later into the evening as they get older and take on more extracurricular and life responsibilities. Therefore, we have adjusted the times to account for this reality. Chromebook inactive hours, beginning March 1, will be: Elementary: 9pm-6am Middle School: 10pm-6am High School: 11:30pm-6am

Thank you again for your feedback and your investment in the success of our Spartans."