Nebo School District board weighs uniform cell-phone rules for junior high, middle and elementary study halls

Nebo School District board members discussed tightening and standardizing the district's cell-phone policy for study halls and shared spaces, focusing on whether junior high language should mirror middle-school restrictions and how enforcement would affect librarians and teachers.

Board members debated whether to make junior high rules identical to middle-school language (sections referenced as 5.3.1'5.3.3 in the draft policy) so that cell phones and smart watches would be prohibited in school buildings during school hours for those grades as they are for elementary and middle schools. Several board members said a single, consistent rule would reduce ad-hoc enforcement decisions by librarians and staff.

The discussion mattered because board members and staff raised both operational and funding concerns. One board member explained that when students sign up for a study hall but do their coursework at home, the district's funding treatment can differ: signing up for and attending study hall at school may count as a full Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) for that student rather than a reduced WPU if the student leaves and studies at home. The speaker said this difference is "not millions of dollars" but is a factor in how the board framed its prior vote on policy language.

On enforcement, several board members expressed concern about increasing burdens on librarians and administrators if the policy requires them to distinguish between students who are in study hall for supervised instruction and those in independent study. A board member recommended a blanket rule for shared spaces such as libraries to avoid asking librarians to determine whether a student is in a supervised study hall or using the library for independent work. Another board member urged a "bell-to-bell" approach in classrooms so teachers would not have to make repeated decisions about phone use during study hall periods.

Board members also proposed operational options: copy the middle-school language into the junior-high section so the two grade bands have identical rules; omit hall-pass exceptions that were thought unnecessary in elementary language; or implement the stricter policy while committing to evaluate results after one year and adjust as needed. One board member noted patterns from other rollouts: a high number of infractions in year one, fewer in year two and minimal by year three.

District staff clarified how the policy distinguishes "classroom instruction time" from independent study: scheduled instruction under a teacher's direction is treated differently from unscheduled independent study (for example, a student who pops into a library to study). That distinction informed whether phones would be allowed in certain supervised study halls.

No motion text or formal vote was recorded in the provided transcript excerpts. Board members framed several options for a pending decision: (1) amend the draft that night to copy middle-school language into the junior-high section; (2) adopt a gatekeeping rule for shared spaces such as libraries; or (3) adopt now and reassess after a one-year trial. The transcript shows debate and questions but does not record a final board action in the excerpt.

The board exchange included multiple references to implementation challenges raised by teachers, administrators and librarians, and to the district's prior policy vote. Additional follow-up items identified during the discussion included clarifying definitions in the policy (sections cited in the draft as 2.2, 2.4 and 0.6) so administrators and staff can consistently apply the policy.