Nearly two years after securing the largest school referendum package in Wisconsin history and warning of future budget challenges, the Madison Metropolitan School District has approved a new $278,000 contract for a digital platform designed to track students’ moods and feelings.
The purchase comes as district officials continue to discuss long-term financial pressures despite Madison voters approving two separate school referenda in 2024 totaling roughly $607 million—$507 million for facilities projects and another $100 million for operating expenses.
According to The Cap Times, the software allows students to regularly check in and report how they are feeling, giving educators access to data intended to help identify students who may need additional support.
The Sown to Grow platform asks students questions such as “tell me about your week” and offers emoji selections. It uses natural language processing and machine learning to flag concerning responses for review by staff. The tool provides trend data to educators across 32 schools as part of social-emotional learning efforts.
Supporters argue the platform could help schools intervene earlier when students are struggling. Critics, however, question whether emotional tracking software represents an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars–especially at a time when opinions on screen time in classrooms continue to shift and concerns about Big Tech’s influence on children continues to grow.
Some school board members raised concerns during approval. One called the approach “gross” and “problematic” due to added screen time and AI processing of student emotions. Another expressed anxiety about turning “big emotions” into aggregate data that could benefit technology companies. A third voted against the contract, arguing funds would be better spent on counselors rather than devices. The superintendent defended the platform as a tool to give educators better information.
Parents affiliated with the group Parent Check on Tech have voiced objections to the amount of student data being collected by educational technology companies and whether schools have become overly reliant on digital platforms. Some have questioned what information is being collected, who has access to it, how long it is retained, and whether families are receiving adequate transparency about the process.
Sown to Grow, the California-based vendor who’s located just outside of Silicon Valley, claims that it does not sell student data.
The same parent group has also increasingly criticized the amount of screen time students experience during the school day, arguing that schools should be moving away from additional digital tools rather than adopting new ones. A district analysis of Chromebook usage found students across multiple grade levels exceeded the district’s own recommended screen-time limits, with some middle and high school students spending more than double the recommended amount of time on devices.
Those concerns mirror a broader national conversation about technology in education. Across the country, school districts have adopted stricter cellphone policies, restricted device usage, and reconsidered the role technology plays in classrooms. In Wisconsin, lawmakers recently approved legislation requiring school districts to prohibit student cellphone use during instructional time beginning in the upcoming school year. Governor Tony Evers signed the measure into law.
As the national conversation about screen time and education continues to shift, some Madison parents are questioning why district leaders are expanding their investment in digital monitoring tools at a time when many educators, policymakers, and families are moving in the opposite direction.
On top of that, the Board’s decision ultimately raises a larger question about priorities. After securing $607 million in new taxpayer funding and continuing to warn about future budget deficits, Madison school leaders are asking residents to trust their stewardship of public dollars. For a growing number of parents, a $278,000 student feelings tracker is making that trust harder to earn.
