Board reviews House Bill 8 parents’‑rights changes and cell‑phone rules for classrooms

School administrators briefed the board on recent state legislation and related local policy adjustments, identifying House Bill 8 as a parents’‑rights measure and explaining how the district intends to comply.

Doctor Cooper described House Bill 8 as reinforcing the district’s existing practice to notify families when there are changes to services that “directly involve their physical or mental well‑being,” and said parents retain rights to ask questions and opt out of specific instruction or services as allowed by the law. “If there are change of services for a student, directly involving their physical or mental well‑being, then we are working with the family to educate them on what those changes are,” Cooper said.

Administrators also discussed a new state rule limiting cell‑phone use during instruction time in pre‑K–12 classrooms. Cooper said the district had a similar policy already in pre‑K–8 and intends to apply a common‑sense approach at the high school level to permit phones when used for real‑world, experiential learning projects or communication tied to approved work. He summarized the rule as: during instructional time in classrooms, phones should not be in use.

Board members asked for further details about potential bills and override efforts at the state level; administrators said several vetoed budget items were discussed for possible override but that no senate schedule for further votes had been set and that the district is monitoring developments. The administration said the district remains in a “fiscally stable position” following recent state actions and noted some additional recognition dollars had been allocated to Mason.