Breck Wright, a school safety professional with the Butte County Office of Education, discusses online threats and digital safety with Gridley Unified School District parents during an Aug. 18 meeting at the Guardian Building. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Gridley Unified School District students returned to school with tighter restrictions on cellphones and other personal devices as district officials urged parents to take a closer look at their children's online activity.

The district held parent meetings on Aug. 18 and 19 at the Guardian Building to explain the cellphone policy and discuss cyberbullying, online exploitation, gaming platforms and other digital threats facing students.

Under the policy, students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade must keep personal electronic devices turned off and stored in a backpack or bag throughout the school day. The restriction includes before- and after-school programs.

High school students must keep devices turned off and stored during instructional time and passing periods but may use them during the designated nutrition break and lunch.

The rules cover smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, gaming devices and headphones.

During one of the meetings, Gridley Unified School District Superintendent Justin Kern said limiting access to devices at school represents only part of the district's concern.

"The biggest thing is just being vigilant about what they're on," Kern told parents.

The district uses technology for instruction, including providing students with devices for curriculum, Kern said. Officials are trying to balance those educational uses with concerns about what students encounter online.

"More than anything, it's just for you to be involved in your kid's digital life," Kern said.

The district invited Breck Wright, a school safety professional with the Butte County Office of Education, to discuss emerging online threats and steps families can take to recognize concerning activity.

Wright told parents that online games themselves are not necessarily the primary danger. The concern often centers on who students communicate with while playing and whether those conversations move to other platforms.

"The biggest red flag that I have, it's when somebody moves and requests to move a child from the gaming platform to another platform," Wright said.

He pointed to games such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite, where users can communicate through text or voice chat. A person seeking greater access to a child may attempt to move the conversation to Discord, Snapchat or another service that allows additional forms of communication, he said.

Warning signs include people asking children for their age, school, city, family information or daily schedule. Wright also cautioned parents about strangers asking whether a device is monitored, offering in-game currency or asking a child to keep a secret.

"Anytime someone asks if you can keep a secret over a gaming platform, giant red flag," he said.

Wright also discussed cyberbullying, financial extortion and online groups that target young people. He advised families to watch for behavioral changes, increased secrecy surrounding online activity, unexplained requests for gift cards, exposure to graphic material or a fixation on mass violence.

As a precaution, Wright recommended regularly reviewing children's devices for installed and hidden apps, online accounts, private or disappearing messages and browser activity. Families should also account for old phones, tablets and other connected devices and ask their children whether anyone has told them to hide conversations, move to another app, send images, accept money or keep secrets.

Other recommendations included using parental controls on phones and home internet networks, limiting when devices can connect to the internet and establishing regular family check-ins about online activity.

The district's cellphone policy also addresses student conduct involving personal devices. Students may face discipline for using them to intimidate, harass or harm others when that conduct disrupts school activities.

Students may not photograph or record others without permission. Recording is prohibited in restrooms and locker rooms and during physical altercations or acts of violence. The policy also prohibits impersonating others with an intent to cause harm, bypassing school filters, sharing explicit content or using apps to facilitate academic dishonesty.

Unauthorized use may result in confiscation. With prior administrative approval, teachers may also require students to place devices in designated classroom storage areas.

Exceptions allow students to use devices during an emergency or perceived threat, with an administrator's permission, for a health need determined by a licensed physician or when specifically required under an Individualized Education Program or Section 504 plan.

Parents who need to reach their children urgently during the school day are encouraged to contact the school office.

Kern encouraged parents to "know what's out there" and stay involved in their children's digital lives.