Wilmington School Committee Advances Cell Phone App Pilot for Fall 2026 School Year

NORTH ANDOVER — April 30, 2026 — Wilmington School Committee hears youth survey showing sharp substance use drop, weighs cell phone app pilot. The committee received results from the 2025 Wilmington Public Schools Youth Health Survey at its April 29 meeting, finding that high school lifetime substance use fell by more than 50 percent across every category since 2019, while rates of poor mental health and suicide ideation have declined since 2021. Consultant Becca Malak of JSI Research and Training Institute presented the data, which also found that 50 percent of transgender and gender diverse middle schoolers reported being bullied on school property compared to 18 percent overall, and that LGBQ-plus high school students were significantly more likely to report depression. The committee also heard a recommendation from a working group led by Coordinator of Behavioral Health Erin Dunham to pilot the Doorman phone-blocking application in grades 6 through 12 beginning fall 2026, with an estimated cost of approximately $7,000 for a full district deployment. Member Dr. McCauley raised detailed concerns about the company's privacy terms and software maturity, stating, "I have a very strong concern that we would tell students to load an app on their phone and then find out two years down the line that that data was being exported." No vote was taken; the item is expected to return as a decision agenda item at the May 13 regular meeting.