[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6054464,"mediaKeyId","3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe","parentId",3337371,"title","Forsyth County Schools propose cellphone limits during school day, pair policy with Chromebook plan","audioSeconds",797,"startMs",2934000,"endMs",3731000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe&start=2934&end=3731","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe/thumbnail_2934000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6054464/Georgia/Forsyth-County-Schools-propose-cellphone-limits-during-school-day-pair-policy-with-Chromebook-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054464-d7c48adc8589e71febe4054686154013/orig.mp4?Expires=1770814882&Signature=VolTWYsK6K1w3NXR563W~ZuJ65CWU1hG10FBWZlwOlRrgSqgqk6lxNdmVHMgu5FicwB0UmOBZTcgTxQSqtTQnNJPDHC7nRCYMpbimOz6kOctrMUmVFm1h6H3BnDwOEApQwAMfyOs0nfHsUR7e-nVrOFSPKECDGJ5AIgEhIpt4MMuD54aafLEjSko2X8V17-akPd3zSzk0716xCeph6B~PGUQL~Ei8rZlQH4XGv4RSaijeAlUblbW58QTxv5~KxWfC129nMrEvkTAzjap9gQJuN~w~34MKVG5Mb4Xeyr3MWAnVie6TXgZ6sYZd5WBfA7w3SqD6DmWjoRTvT6oIgplOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-14T12:53:19Z","article","Forsyth County Schools officials presented a proposed distraction-free education policy that would require students at elementary and middle schools to keep cell phones and personal electronic devices turned off and stored out of sight during the bell-to-bell school day and allow high school students to access devices only during their assigned lunch period.

The proposal, presented by Dr. Amy Bartlett, associate superintendent of teaching and learning, would place the new rules within the district’s JCDAF appropriate-use policy and open the draft to 30 days of public comment before the board takes further action. Bartlett said the policy “is to create environments free from the distraction of cell phones and personal electronic devices” and that the district is “committed to ensuring our students are provided with every opportunity to focus on their learning and engage in positive interactions to support their well-being.”

Why it matters: the proposal responds to local stakeholder feedback and new state legislation directing local systems to adopt distracted-learning rules for younger students. District leaders said the measure is intended both to sharpen classroom focus and to reduce social and emotional harms tied to device use during school hours.

What the district proposed and why
- Elementary and middle school students: devices “turned off and stored away” during the full school day (bell to bell). Bartlett said that exclusion explicitly does not apply to buses, bus stops, or before-and-after-school events.
- High schools: devices turned off during instructional time but may be accessed during assigned lunch periods. Bartlett described the differential as a recognition that older students need a transition to greater independence: “we heard loud and clearly from some of our students…having one point at least during the day to check those messages and have that communication and teach them how to responsibly use that.”
- Exceptions: the policy includes a provision to honor documented needs for students with disabilities or medical/educational accommodations that require device use as described in individualized plans.

Enforcement and modeling: district leaders said consistent, systemwide enforcement will be necessary for the policy to work. Superintendent (Dr.) Young, speaking during the discussion, told principals and staff that “teachers are gonna be the key to this happening” and that employee modeling will be required: “if we're expecting our students to do that, we need to be modeling that from the level of our employees as well.” Bartlett said the policy text includes language requiring staff to model responsible device use.

Technology plan tied to policy: Mike Evans, chief technology and information officer, presented a separate but related plan to assign district Chromebooks to middle- and high-school students on a 1:1 basis. Evans said the aim is to provide a district‑managed device for instruction and to replace the inconsistent BYOT (bring-your-own‑technology) practice that has developed over two decades. \"It's a fantastic tool. We want kids creating. We want kids collaborating with it,\" Evans said, adding that district devices would include content filtering for home use and classroom control tools for teachers.

Evans said the district already holds about the same number of Chromebooks as students districtwide and that implementation would rely largely on redistribution, cases and an optional family insurance program. He estimated a one-time absorption of school‑ and PTO‑purchased devices into the district fleet and cited an approximate incremental cost figure the district has discussed internally.

Next steps: Bartlett asked the board to allow the proposed policy to “sit for the next 30 days” to gather community feedback; staff described an outreach plan that will include posting the policy on the district website and targeted communications. Bartlett said additional regulations and updates to the code of conduct, staff handbook and family guides would follow if the board moves the policy forward.

Public and board reaction: board members generally voiced support for consistent enforcement and district-level guidance. One board member noted a neighboring district’s experience, saying the county that rolled out a similar policy saw cafeteria phone access drop after several weeks and disciplinary incidents tied to phones decline. School leaders said they will instruct principals that consistent enforcement is nonnegotiable if the policy is approved.

Limitations and open items: Bartlett said the district’s policy text was written with reference to recent state legislation (see authorities) but that GSBA (Georgia School Boards Association) has not yet issued a policy code to adopt verbatim. Staff said more detailed regulations will be drafted for administrators to ensure consistent application across all 43 schools.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Forsyth County Schools | Board of Education Regular Meeting | May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Forsyth County Schools officials presented a proposed distraction-free education policy calling for elementary and middle school students to keep cell phones off and out of sight during the bell-to-bell school day and allowing high school students phone access only during assigned lunch periods.","taxTitle","Forsyth County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",15379,"location","Georgia","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6054454,"Forsyth County Schools financial report shows slight revenue shortfall; board accepts audit corrective-action plan",668,4812000,5480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe&start=4812&end=5480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe/thumbnail_4812000.jpg","/articles/6054454/Georgia/Forsyth-County-Schools-financial-report-shows-slight-revenue-shortfall-board-accepts-audit-corrective-action-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054454-948d0acb52cfdddb7a593d901fc4205e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770814882&Signature=otUvCPl-eZWrX5dEHcTtyGlEWkXxRroM32lQuDt2qpi~ylecsgwAtSdwsZOz7XN7a6IlzKl-V-5mOR~4mjXcSWCcRCJ14TAAOFN~rg3X8gxQbkNwSCpBCEbfTcFcsu4i2L-xV7R-nRJywi45uazZNnpcszYHuz3dDYHWNROZC0cwPUHn4gGDkvlJETCGDuBVpHi-4FOShROB6CUWEF8S5U2oOmpUd~piOkOHdToQp8jmWor1ajl5yI48J9FIlMaCro9SrDnXoGZ3OiEWP62FE3Nl18UXLj--gUnIVZJBswydpFm-PrCMdwTapQXcyYTOP7LERBuKlcYLz9f53U-CQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Forsyth County Schools financial staff reported April 2025 cash and revenue figures to the board and said district officials will submit a corrective-action plan to the state following an FY24 audit finding that placed the district on the state’s moderate‑risk list; the board voted to accept that plan.

Larry Hamill reviewed April statements and said the district began the month with roughly $258,000,000 in cash and closed the month near $235,000,000. He told the board that district revenue collections year-to-date were at 89.92% of budget compared with 91.66% at the same point last year and identified the title ad valorem tax as the primary driver behind the variance.

\"The biggest culprit right now seems to be the title ad valorem tax,\" Hamill said, noting the district budgeted about $27.7 million in that revenue source but had collected about $19 million so far. \"It looks like we're gonna be about 3 and a half to 4,000,000 dollars down on that. A lot of that has to do with cars not selling as well.\" Hamill said other revenue and expenditure lines were roughly on track for the time of year.

Audit finding and board action
- Audit: the district reported an FY24 audit finding that resulted in placement on the state’s moderate-risk list. Staff presented a collective corrective-action plan and asked the board to accept it for submission to the state.
- Board vote: \"Mister Grimes made a motion. Mister Esherwood seconds. All in favor? Motion passes.\" The board approved the corrective-action plan as presented and staff said they will submit it to the state agency as required.

Other financial details Hamill provided included an expenditure rate of about 83.13% year-to-date (slightly ahead of the same point last year) and capital‑project cash balances and school account summaries; school nutrition revenue and capital project funds were reported as within expected ranges for the month.

Budget and debt context: Hamill reminded the board the district has reserved funds tied to previous millage decisions and said the board intends to maintain the current millage rate at 1.418 for the coming year. He and other staff also discussed timing for any potential ballot measure to extend a current revenue program and said staff will present draft splash language for board review if the district proceeds toward a ballot measure.

Implications and next steps: staff said continuing revenue monitoring is needed and that closing the year could result in a slight deficit if collections remain below budget. The approved corrective-action plan will be filed with the state; finance staff will return with updated estimates as more revenue data becomes available and as the district finalizes the FY26 budget timetable.

","District finance staff reported April financials showing a shortfall in title ad valorem tax receipts tied to vehicle registrations and the board voted to accept the FY24 audit corrective-action plan that placed the system on the state's moderate-risk list.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6054459,"Forsyth County Schools warn millage hearings hinge on chief appraiser data; budget presentation set for May",235,2745000,2980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe&start=2745&end=2980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337371-a57f59a4617810745e1fe63a068aabfe/thumbnail_2745000.jpg","/articles/6054459/Georgia/Forsyth-County-Schools-warn-millage-hearings-hinge-on-chief-appraiser-data-budget-presentation-set-for-May","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054459-db9bf8c3dacbf93f0a2917cf17bcc2cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770814882&Signature=c5F1sqd52FCOrwTlHkR3RmW6jb2SA1eWszd1hulFVWH3AIxXac7mTDcdbXsik89mU9JMqGIj8XURydTYwynXlw7QZl7KoZrLEZudD~QMT2t65cjosMAhdj1h7nXwU56SO0RD9fGCC-CA--glZCu3DkBjB17hR-UoWgMTh3SaxFMFO~QMKjXVtmnK8SU1046v~UhJNBiD3zsmxBzqOxVBdA-MY0vET~4D1ysjH2iS92xIxnhubtaNzDGGtY8~icshsjRy68c6GZo8uDwrP-Utgdt3ZQ3n3eqxhDEwON~Uq~98whfNDcOXohrx~TyWss9glYwU-ck2f~DgXrW4xM2xog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District finance staff told the Forsyth County Schools Board of Education that the FY26 budget timeline and planned millage hearings depend on property valuation data from the county chief appraiser and that meetings currently on the calendar may be delayed if the assessor's office cannot deliver updated figures.

Larry Hamill, who presented the timeline, said the budget presentation draft was “ready to go for May 27 at a 6PM meeting” and that the “first budget hearing” was planned for May 29 with a second hearing and millage meetings tentatively set for June 12 and June 19. Hamill cautioned the schedule is the district’s “best case scenario” and that staff may need to be flexible if the chief appraiser’s software update is not completed in time.

Why it matters: property valuations and exemptions determine the tax roll that sets the millage calculation. Staff said a delayed appraisal or data feed would prevent timely advertising of hearings and could push key vote dates later, affecting the district’s schedule for adopting a final budget and millage rate.

Key details from staff
- Draft presentation and first hearing: presentation May 27; first hearing May 29 (dates as presented by staff).
- Contingency: if the county assessor’s software and spreadsheets are not finalized by the county’s June 1 internal target, the district may need to reschedule its June 12 meeting and adjust the June 19 timeline.
- State law and new exemptions: staff told the board that recent state legislation (referenced as House Bill 717) introduced new exemptions that the county must account for, adding complexity to the appraisal process.

Board direction and next steps: board members and staff agreed to monitor the assessor’s delivery timetable and remain flexible on advertised hearings. Superintendent and finance staff said they plan to produce preliminary ballot language for a planned fiscal measure (district staff referred to extending the current revenue measure) so the county board of elections would have language if the board decides to place a measure on an upcoming ballot. Staff asked to continue internal work on timing and to bring draft ballot language to the board in mid‑June if possible.

Limits and open questions: staff stressed the district is “at the mercy” of the chief appraiser’s office for finalized valuation data and that the advertised hearing timeline hinges on that delivery. No final millage decisions were taken at the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to set expectations and contingencies for the coming weeks.

","Finance staff outlined the FY26 budget timeline and warned scheduled millage hearings could shift if the county chief appraiser's software update and new exemptions delay final values.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Forsyth County Schools propose cellphone limits during school day, pair policy with Chromebook plan

Forsyth County Schools financial report shows slight revenue shortfall; board accepts audit corrective-action plan

Forsyth County Schools warn millage hearings hinge on chief appraiser data; budget presentation set for May