Board accepts first read of district cell‑phone policy; trustees and staff flag enforcement and equity concerns

The Ashland School District school board accepted a first reading of a proposed cell‑phone policy at its Aug. 8 meeting and asked staff to return with revisions and more detail.

The draft policy, prompted by high‑school staff work and research on attention and academic outcomes, would standardize expectations across schools and allow administrators to add site‑level handbooks for nuance. “What we’re really trying to do is align this,” the district presenter said.

Nut graf: Trustees praised the intent but raised practical enforcement, equity and safety questions. They asked for firmer language on collection and storage of devices, handling of social‑media‑related bullying and clarity about curriculum access for students who use personal devices.

Key board concerns

Board members and staff voiced several issues to address before the policy’s second reading: stronger, enforceable language rather than permissive wording; how to handle students who must retain phones for safety or health reasons; guidance on clubs and structured activities that use social media; and potential lockbox or storage solutions to make compliance feasible. One trustee said existing high‑school practice was “not terribly effective” and urged a policy that teachers and students would accept.

District staff said they would draft administrative regulations (ARs) aligned to the policy, consult OSBA sample policies and legal counsel on liability for confiscating phones, and incorporate feedback from the high school and middle school staff who already use local rules.

Ending

Trustees asked staff to compile written feedback and to return with a revised draft at the next board meeting. The board accepted the draft policy as a first read and encouraged staff to seek sample policies and to consider equitable implementation across grade levels.