Wilmington School Committee approves Doorman cell phone app with legal review condition

LITTLETON — May 28, 2026 — Wilmington School Committee voted 5-1 to conditionally approve the Doorman cell phone management app for district middle and high schools. The vote, taken at the May 27 meeting, approves entering a contract with Doorman contingent upon a favorable review by district legal counsel, with the $5-per-student application using NFC classroom tags to enforce a bell-to-bell phone lockout anticipated under pending state legislation. Superintendent Kelly Thompson and secondary building principals presented the proposal, citing Doorman's endorsement by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and its data storage through Google Cloud. Committee member Dr. Michael McCauley cast the sole dissenting vote, arguing the board lacked sufficient information on the company's financial solvency, cybersecurity infrastructure, and IT vetting. "I feel we just don't have all the information in place to make that informed decision," McCauley said. The committee also heard a transportation update confirming the district runs 48 routes for roughly 1,800 to 1,900 students with no general-education bus monitors currently deployed, at an estimated monitor cost of $150 per vehicle per day across 17 buses.