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Board considers K‑8 phone ban, high‑school limits and adding student ex‑officio members
Summary
A board member proposed a K‑8 ban on cell phones with limited high‑school use, a discipline rubric and student ex‑officio board seats; staff were asked to prepare policy language and a board subcommittee was suggested to develop a draft.
A McCombs School District board member recommended the board consider prohibiting use of cell phones for kindergarten through eighth grade and establishing limited, earned phone privileges for high school students.
The board member, who described the approach as drawn from a national workshop called “Hold the Line,” said the policy framework should include instructional protections, a discipline rubric for misuse and student involvement in the policy development. “There must be a rubric for discipline in breaking of policy associated with use of electronic devices,” the board member said.
The speaker said cell phones contribute to incidents such as fights because students can record and amplify those events, and proposed that K–8 students be required to keep phones turned off and stored in backpacks; the speaker emphasized exceptions for end‑of‑day parent contact. The board member asked that the proposal be placed on the board meeting agenda for formal consideration.
The same speaker also proposed expanding student voice on the board by creating ex‑officio student seats: a 12th grader and an 11th grader who would serve staggered terms so an 11th grader could continue to a senior year. The speaker said the student’s vote would be advisory only. Miss Cameron provided a sample policy and the speaker suggested forming a two‑member board subcommittee to draft the language.
Superintendent Dr. Hicks and other members said staff would bring updated policy language for the board to review; no policy change was adopted during the work session.
Board members discussed practical details including discipline processes, student buy‑in and enforcement in nonclassroom settings such as playgrounds and hallways. Higgins Middle School leadership later told the board that for the month reported none of their 52 discipline referrals were specifically logged as phone‑related incidents in classrooms, though supervisors said recent phone issues had occurred on playgrounds.
No vote was taken; the proposal will be placed on an upcoming agenda for formal consideration along with draft policy language and recommended disciplinary rubrics.
