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New state law on student personal devices prompts Henderson County Schools to keep current policy and plan districtwide procedures
Summary
Following passage of House Bill 959, district staff told the board the district’s current device policy already meets the new statutory minimum; the board asked principals to develop consistent disciplinary procedures and staff described pilot options like magnetic pouches and locking cabinets.
The Henderson County Board of Public Education reviewed a new state law on student personal electronic devices during its June 30 meeting and signaled that the district’s existing policy will remain in place while administrators finalize consistent enforcement procedures for the coming school year.
District staff told the board House Bill 959 requires each public school unit to adopt a policy that at minimum prohibits students from using, displaying, or having wireless communication devices turned on during instructional time. The presenter said the bill was sent to the governor and expected to be signed and that the district’s current policy already meets the bill’s baseline requirements, though the bill uses the phrase “instructional time” while the district policy refers to the “school day.”
The presenter said exceptions in the statute include teacher‑authorized educational uses, emergencies, protections required by an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, and use to manage health care (for example, diabetes monitoring). The statute requires each unit to establish consequences for violations under the student code of conduct; the presenter said principals and administrative teams will develop those consequences so they are enforceable and consistent at elementary, middle and high schools.
Board members discussed enforcement options and equity: one member favored keeping phones available for students (for example, in a classroom charging station) rather than locking them in school storage; several members raised concerns about consistent application across schools and the administrative burden of hardware solutions. Staff described two commonly used options other districts have tried: a portable locking cabinet that can be moved during drills or evacuations, and a magnetic “Yonder” pouch (about $26 per pouch) that releases with a circular magnet at the end of day. Staff said some high schools have expressed interest in piloting pouches.
No change to the district policy was proposed at the meeting. The superintendent and staff committed to present the procedural details the principals will use at the board’s August meeting so the board understands the disciplinary steps and the district’s plan to apply them consistently.
