Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Devices Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee discusses piloting locking pouches for student cell phones in grades 6212
Summary
Staff presented a discussion about piloting locking pouches for student cell phones in grades 6-12 to comply with the law restricting active phones during instructional time; committee members raised logistical and cost concerns and agreed to pilot the practice before any districtwide policy.
The Discipline Committee discussed a potential pilot program to use locking pouches for student cell phones in grades 6-12 as a way to comply with the current legal requirement that students not have active cell phones during instructional time.
Dr. Pagenbusch (presenter/staff) framed the issue: "we are required now to make sure by law that our students do not have active cell phones during the school instructional time." She described a pouch system with a magnetic locking mechanism; each teacher would have a tool to unlock pouches and students could be assigned a pouch for the year or use them daily. She said pouches are durable, washable and the vendor cited a four-year warranty.
Committee members raised practical questions: what happens if the mechanism fails during a class change, how to manage dozens of students trying to retrieve phones at once, whether carrying the pouches would itself be a distraction, who would hold liability for damaged phones, and whether students might refuse to use the pouch. One committee member estimated pilot costs "up to about $50,000" depending on bulk size; Dr. Pagenbusch said staff would shop vendors and pilot in several different size schools (two middle schools and two high schools) before recommending districtwide policy.
Members suggested seeking student feedback through a panel and using pilot results to inform any formal policy. The committee did not take action; the item was presented for discussion only and staff will ask schools whether they would participate in a pilot the following school year.
