The school district approved a ban on student cellphones, a school official told the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC) during its July 23 meeting, and district staff will meet with site administrators to finalize how the policy will be communicated and enforced.

Andrea White, a staff member who spoke to the JJCC, said, “I approved it last night for the district. We did send out surveys to parents and principals to go over that, and the majority was in agreeance, for the no cell no cell phone policy.”

The district plans to meet with principals in August to determine consistent procedures and communications, White said, and will use the district’s ParentSquare system to broadcast information to families. White said the district will “lay all of that out” including consequences and steps for emergencies and described the office as the communication point in emergencies: “back in my day, the parents called the office or the office called families. So those are the things that we will work on.”

Why it matters: The policy affects all students in the district and will change how families and schools communicate during school hours. The JJCC discussion served to inform partner agencies and stakeholders about implementation timing and to solicit input on communication and logistics.

Discussion (not a formal JJCC action): Committee members asked whether consequences and emergency protocols would be made clear to parents; White replied that consequences will be defined and consistently applied across sites and that the district will address emergency contact procedures. White said the district intends to start implementation work with site administrators in August and provided examples of outreach used at a previous district.

Background and next steps: White said the district surveyed parents and principals and that the majority supported the policy. She said the district is currently using a fully virtual rollout for related meetings but prefers in-person groups for future activities if turnout improves. The JJCC did not vote on this policy; White reported it as an action taken by the school district prior to the meeting. The JJCC will receive updates as the district finalizes communications and site-level procedures.

Ending: Committee members welcomed the announcement and said they look forward to follow-up information about consequences, emergency procedures, and parent outreach materials.