WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - The Kansas State Board of Education created the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time to come up with recommendations on the usage of personal devices in school, screen time and mental health, and parental oversight of district-owned devices. One recommendation is to implement a bell-to-bell personal electronic device policy in K-12 schools, meaning students are off throughout the school day, including lunch and in between classes. The policy also recommends a personal device policy for staff and emergency procedures that are not dependent on students contacting authorities or family via personal electronic devices or school-issued devices. Read the full report here. Trinity Academy takes unique and serious approach to no-phone school policy To improve mental health, it recommends breaks throughout the school day and that districts develop robust websites or communication with parents, students, and the community that is not reliant upon social media. The task force comprises 36 members, including representatives from the Kansas State Board of Education, superintendents, principals, teachers, students, parents, IT staff, local school board members, and legislators.  Lori Barnes, a parent and school board member in Arkansas City, says they did a lot of research, and she learned the impact social media is having on kids. She says one-on-one interaction is missing. "I think so many kids will see it as, if their district adopts our proposals, we're being mean, but were not," Barnes said. "We've been there, done that and looking out for what's best for you. Listening to a lot of districts that do have a bell-to-bell policy right now, they were ready for a lot of pushback from kids, but they said once they got into the groove of it, they actually do better. They had data proving their kids don't reach for their phones; they just do it. Kids are resilient that way. If we propose it and give them the reasons why, kids will get on board. They may push back at first, but I think they're going to see how much more focused they are, and they miss talking to their friends." The principal of Fredonia Jr. Sr. High, Brian Houghton, says a big part of this involves parents. "Educating parents on cellphone use and technology use and equipping them with tools so they can be better versed on understanding the cellphones students have plus also the technology, you know if schools have 1-1 device initiatives, helping them be better able to work with students on those devices," Houghton said. The state school board will vote on the recommendations in December and then distribute them to schools, allowing districts to decide what is best. These are not mandates. "The intent is to help schools, help teachers, help students, help parents have the best possible education for kids we can, and moving forward. Hopefully, this gives them a resource if the State Board publishes this and issue it as a guide, so hopefully that gives some resources that everyone can use," Houghton said. Carol Budde teaches 6th grade in Newton and says she learned about people's concerns about screens and how they impact students at school and in their lives. "When I talk to my students about how they interact with other people, it's really a struggle for them to share how they communicate with others who aren't in the virtual realm," Budde said. "I want people to understand how much screen time does affect mental health of students. They need interaction. They need activities; they need caring adults who aren't on their phones." Budde says she has seen her students struggle with coping skills and relationships. Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids "They haven't had the opportunity to engage in relationships that are authentic and in person," Budde said. "Fewer kids are involved in activities. Their social life is on a screen versus a sports team, church youth group, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts 4-H, how they interact with people is on the screen more and more." Barnes hopes that schools will understand the work that went into creating the recommendations if they consider adopting these policies. "We spent a lot of time, a lot of research, a lot of data went into this," Barnes said. "It wasn't looked at lightly; there was a lot of discussion back and forth; we all took it very seriously and wanted to come up with the best guidelines for our state so that our Kansas kids can thrive in their education."