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District to adopt state-mandated cell-phone policy by Aug. 1; board to review revisions in policy committee
Summary
Administrators presented a state-mandated student device policy requiring student-owned internet-connected devices to be inaccessible "bell to bell" starting Aug. 1; district legal counsel reviewed the draft and the board agreed to fast-track adoption with committee review afterward.
District leaders told the board they must adopt a new student-device policy by Aug. 1 to comply with a state mandate requiring districts to restrict student access to internet-connected devices during the school day. The administration said the policy limits student access to cell phones, earbuds, smartwatches and student-owned laptops from bell to bell and directs parents to contact schools through the office for urgent messages.
The administration said the policy was reviewed by legal counsel and by staff and compared with other local districts' approaches and a sample policy circulated by the state-association sample provider. Because the governor set an effective date, the administration asked the board to waive the committee-first process and approve a first reading now so the district will be in compliance by Aug. 1; the board agreed to adopt the policy with the understanding that the policy committee will review and request changes as needed at an upcoming meeting.
Board members and the superintendent agreed to place the policy on the policy committee agenda for further review and to examine any missing elements from the sample policy. Separately, the board also discussed a heat policy with a later Sept. 1 deadline and asked that be included in committee review as well.
