Board asks staff to draft districtwide cell-phone policy after state bill fails

At its June 2025 meeting, the Lockport Township High School District 205 Board of Education told district leaders to draft a districtwide cell‑phone policy and bring a proposal back to the board for consideration.

The request followed a legislative update from the superintendent, who said, “The cell phone legislation did not pass.” The superintendent urged the board to consider a local policy to create uniform expectations and consistent enforcement across Central and East campuses.

Board members, teachers and student representatives described wide variation in classroom practice. “Each one of my teachers handled how we would interact with our cell phones in the classroom in a different way,” said student board member Michael, summarizing the student review. Teacher speakers told the board that inconsistent enforcement left classroom instructors repeatedly addressing phone use rather than teaching. “It is a hugely, difficult problem that we face on the daily basis,” a classroom teacher identified in the meeting as Miss Scribe said.

Students and staff urged a practical remedy: schoolwide “phone pockets” or similar systems so personal devices are not used during instructional time. “The universal system of phone holders was what we need to be done,” said a student board member, describing the student recommendation for consistent device storage in classrooms. Administrators said the district already provides Chromebooks for instructional needs and is prepared to expand device‑storage practices to gyms and other nontraditional spaces, while noting exceptions for medical devices.

Board members asked administrators to draft a stand‑alone policy—rather than rely solely on existing technology policy language—and to circulate a proposed text in time for a July or August review. The superintendent said a policy would likely appear for board discussion and that implementing standardized practice will require staff, union and student partnership: “You'd have to have conversations with … our union and our teachers,” he said.

No formal vote was taken. The board’s direction amounted to a request for administrative action: prepare a draft policy, include implementation practices (such as phone pockets), describe expected enforcement steps and identify reasonable medical and safety exceptions. The administration advised that any formal policy would follow the district’s normal policy development timeline and would be presented in draft form for board review before approval.

Next steps: administrators will prepare a draft policy for the board’s review and requested stakeholder input from teachers, the bargaining unit and student leaders before a future first reading.