Manchester’s district attorney told the School Committee the Legislature’s recent changes require the district to produce a stricter cell‑phone policy and post a parental bill of rights; the draft policy will go to the policy committee for a public forum before the full board considers adoption.

Matt Upton, district attorney, said two legislative actions required immediate attention: a prohibition on phone use “bell to bell” and House Bill 10’s parental bill‑of‑rights language. “Members of the public that are interested in the cell phone policy should attend that meeting with the policy committee on the twentieth,” Upton said, noting the department has collected input from the Manchester Education Association and high‑school principals.

The draft policy circulated to the committee includes enforcement mechanisms that some committee members said will need clearer procedures. The policy would allow confiscation and — after repeated violations — require that a student drop a device at the principal’s office; in limited circumstances a failure to follow the return requirement could trigger suspension. Committee Member Biden raised concern about suspensions’ impact on attendance: “I would be very concerned about students missing school because of violating this policy.” Other committee members asked for details on how “safeguarding” confiscated devices would work and whether the state will provide any resources for implementation.

The law also requires each school to develop a parental‑engagement policy tied to the parental bill of rights. Upton said he had drafted a template and shared it with principals; principals will adapt school‑level policies and the administration intends to coordinate next steps through the policy committee. Committee members asked that the policy packet for the policy committee include a side‑by‑side summary of the statutory changes and differences from the district’s current policy so the public can see what is new.

Why it matters: The policy will change everyday classroom management and requires coordination across teachers, building leaders and the committee to avoid uneven enforcement. The committee scheduled the policy committee public forum for Aug. 20 and signaled a desire to have a district‑wide adoption in place before the school year begins.

Background and next steps: The draft will be discussed in the policy committee on Aug. 20; the committee plans to solicit public comment at that meeting and then return the item to the full board for consideration. Administrators and union representatives will continue to be involved in drafting standard operating procedures for enforcement.