Good afternoon, BPS families,

We hope this message finds you well.

As part of our ongoing efforts to support academic success and healthy habits for all students, BPS is taking steps to reduce non-educational YouTube use on district-issued devices. Technology is provided to enhance learning, both in and out of the classroom, and we want to ensure they are being used in ways that best support student growth.

During the last school year, our activity logs have shown a large amount of non-educational YouTube usage both in and outside of school. This is leading to classroom distractions and, for some students, loss of sleep. While YouTube can be a valuable educational resource, we also recognize that unstructured use, especially during late hours, may negatively affect students’ sleep and overall well-being.

Research consistently shows that healthy sleep habits play a critical role in academic performance, focus, and emotional regulation. We are committed to helping students thrive not only academically but also physically and emotionally.

With this in mind, we will be updating our filters to restrict access to non-educational YouTube content at the end of this week. Teacher-approved materials will remain accessible for instructional purposes.

We also want to take this time to remind you that district-provided technology is meant for educational use, as stated in BOE policy 6141.320. We are committed to ensuring students are safeguarded from inappropriate materials that exist online and are continuing efforts to ensure content is age-appropriate and educationally oriented.

With this, we are also looking for your help! We ask that you please take some time to have a conversation with your child about being safe online and respecting the digital resources provided to them. Our goal is to promote a safer and healthier learning environment for students.

We appreciate your partnership in helping us promote responsible technology use and healthy routines at home.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.