Director backs tighter cell-phone rules, says district will study a ban

Dr. Lamers, the district’s director of schools, told the committee on Aug. 4 that he supports tightening the district’s cell-phone policy and is considering a more stringent ban that would take time to implement. "I'm actually a 100% in favor of us just banning cell phones," Lamers said, citing research and an example from another district that implemented a ban and later reported lowered discipline incidents. He also said the district’s current policy complies with state requirements but that a ban with enforceable measures would probably require about a year to implement. "I think you'll see a tightening up of that. I think before we can do a total ban, we're gonna need to spend a year probably," he told committee members. Lamers acknowledged managerial and parental concerns about safety and access to parents: "Some parents have legitimate concerns about safety," he said, and noted that the district must weigh logistics, exceptions and methods for enforcement. A committee member and a teacher in the room also described mixed views from students and families — including students who rely on phones for jobs or employer communications — and emphasized the need to test policies with parents and staff before adopting stronger rules. Discussion versus decision: the transcript records discussion and intent to revisit the policy; no formal motion or policy change was adopted at the meeting. Next steps: Lamers said he expects the district to “tighten up” policy language and to spend roughly a year preparing for any enforceable ban; the committee did not set a formal timeline or vote at this meeting.