District presents draft cell-phone management procedure; schools will vary implementation, medical exceptions preserved
Summary
Administrators presented a draft district-wide cell-phone management procedure that aligns existing school practices while acknowledging differences across buildings. The superintendent and administrators said medical exceptions (IEPs/medical plans) will be honored and that the proposal is a procedure — not a policy — for board review.
District administrators presented a draft cell-phone management procedure intended to align practices across the Barre Unified Union School District #97 while allowing each school to tailor implementation to its students’ needs.
Denise (administrator) said the draft grew from conversations among building administrators and that each school will implement the procedure differently: Barre Town already uses locked-phone systems; Spaulding plans to allow students limited phone use at lunch to accommodate older students’ work, transportation and family responsibilities. The draft sets progressive responses for first, second and third offenses and includes medical exceptions via IEPs and medical plans.
Several trustees said the document is informational and a superintendent-level procedure rather than a board policy; trustees agreed the procedure could be piloted and then, if warranted, elevated to a formal policy later. Board members asked for further discussion at a future meeting and noted the importance of consistent communication and clarity for parents and staff.
No final board vote on policy was taken; trustees were asked to consider the draft and provide feedback.
