Battle High School disables Wi-Fi to ‘limit distractions’

Battle High School administration is shutting down its guest Wi-Fi for students during the school day.

In a letter sent to parents last week, Battle High School Principal Kim Presko said the BHS guest Wi-Fi network would be shut off to personal devices from 8:55 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. to “provide a more focused educational environment” for students.

“Our staff is already seeing more face-to-face interactions with kids,” said Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark. “Kids talking to each other, kids talking to teachers and staff in the building, so from the perspective it’s definitley already, within a week, been a positive change.”

A petition on the change.org website, started shortly after the letter was sent out, had nearly 1,500 signatures Monday. The signees said disabling the Wi-Fi left them concerned about access to communication between family members throughout the day.

In an email to ABC 17 News, one parent said they understand the school’s decision, but believe it is a “huge safety concern” for parents.

“With Battle High out of the city by such a distance, there is barely any cell service for my daughter who uses Sprint,” said parent Rob Ingram. “So unless she is by a window, I have no communication with her throughout the day.”

Ingram said he and his daughter relied on the Wi-Fi access for communication during the day should his daughter need lunch money or to stay late at school.

“There are other ways of blocking sites that would distract students, using firewalls and such, but to deliberately cut off all communication is rough,” Ingram said. “God forbid something bad was to happen, I would not be able to communicate with her if she was hiding in a closet.”

The letter to families explained the school’s close work with Columbia Public Schools Technology Service to ensure access will be restored in the event of a school emergency, including lockdowns. Baumstark said it’s just a push of a button and the Wi-Fi turns back on in seconds.

Baumstark said the district is “only talking about Battle at this point in time” and there are no plans to adopt the policy district-wide.