Nebo board adopts student electronic‑devices policy after debate over study‑hall exceptions
Summary
The Nebo School District Board approved draft 2 of policy JDE (student electronic devices) after work‑session discussion about whether study hall and independent study should be exceptions to the classroom phone ban.
The Nebo School District Board of Education voted unanimously June 11 to adopt draft 2 of policy JDE, the district’s student electronic‑devices policy, after a work‑session debate over whether study hall and independent study should be treated as exceptions to the classroom phone ban.
The decision came after board members discussed implementation challenges and enforcement in settings without a structured, teacher‑led class. Board member Kristen Betts moved to adopt draft 2 of policy JDE; Shauna Wernick seconded the motion, and the board voted aye.
Board members said the central question was whether the district should permit phone use during independent study or allowphones only during limited, supervised times. Several trustees expressed concern that differentiating rules by setting would be confusing for staff and students and would create enforcement burdens for teachers supervising large study halls.
District staff told the board they would prepare a revised draft (draft 2) that reflects the board’s direction and that implementation feedback would be gathered during the first year for possible revisions. The board also discussed a drafting approach of moving explicit study‑hall language into the definition of “classroom hours” so the definition would clearly include or exclude study hall depending on whether a qualified instructor supervises the period.
Superintendent Rick Nelson and district staff emphasized implementation fidelity and the practical difficulties of monitoring many students in unsupervised or lightly supervised settings. Board members agreed to revisit the policy after a year of implementation, allowing administrators and principals to collect feedback from teachers and school community councils.
The board’s motion approved the policy as presented in draft 2; no roll‑call votes by name were recorded in the meeting minutes beyond unanimous assent.
The district’s legal counsel and policy staff will circulate the updated draft and a timeline for school‑level messaging before the policy takes effect.
