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School committee sends cell-phone policy back to administrators after mixed feedback
Summary
After a subcommittee review and public input, administrators will draft recommended consequences for second and subsequent cell-phone violations; the committee signaled support for stricter limits during instructional time but asked principals to propose enforceable consequences rather than require parents to collect confiscated phones.
Swansea Public Schools discussed proposed revisions to the district’s cell-phone policy April 9 and asked building administrators at the junior high and high school to produce a recommended set of enforceable consequences for second and subsequent violations.
What the committee debated
Policy drafters and school administrators presented a first-read policy that would tighten consistency across levels and contemplate limits on phone use during the school day. The initial reading included a provision that a parent would be required to collect a student’s phone after a second offense; building administrators asked the committee to reconsider that requirement, saying it often creates confrontations and that some parents are unable to come to school during the day. The administrative teams requested leeway to apply discipline they deem appropriate (detention, parent contact, suspension for escalating insubordination) rather than the rigid parent‑pickup requirement.
Student and staff input cited at the meeting
A high-school student speaker told the committee he preferred instruction that teaches responsible phone use rather than outright removal, saying "it's more important to teach us to have our cell phones on our person and be responsible with them," while several teachers and administrators described classroom and supervisory burdens when phones are in active use.
Committee direction
The committee asked principals from the junior high and high school to draft recommended consequences for second and subsequent offenses and to present those recommendations to the policy subcommittee. The subcommittee will consider the administrators’ proposals and bring a second reading of the revised policy back to the full committee. Several committee members expressed support for a district-wide prohibition of phones during instructional time (and in specified out-of-class periods such as passing time and lunch) if administrators can provide an enforceable discipline model.
Ending: The committee did not vote on policy changes; it directed administrators to develop and present recommended language and enforcement approaches at the policy subcommittee and return the draft for a second reading.
