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Owasso staff revise personal electronic device policy to match state guidance; public speaker urges strict "bell‑to‑bell" enforcement
Summary
District staff presented a rewrite of Policy 5.31 aligning it with new state law and an OSSBA template; the district will bring the edited policy back for formal approval next month. Public commenter Bob Shaffer urged a strict, school‑wide "bell‑to‑bell" enforcement and recommended devices be powered off during the school day.
Owasso Public Schools staff presented rewritten language for Policy 5.31 to align the district’s personal electronic device rules with recent state law and a template from the Oklahoma School Boards Association. The board reviewed the edits and will consider the policy for approval next month.
Mr. Officer, who presented the policy edits, said the district used the OSSBA sample and largely rewrote the policy to mirror the statute and the recommended template. He noted elementary practices remain unchanged and that secondary site rules required the most revision: “We went about making the edits required by the new legislation related to personal electronic devices,” he said.
During public comment, Mr. Bob Shaffer, a substitute teacher and longtime educator, urged the board to adopt strong enforcement. “I encourage you to strongly support the law,” Shaffer said, advocating for a zero‑tolerance approach and for devices to be powered off during the school day. Shaffer suggested clear consequences for violations to ensure consistent enforcement across classrooms.
The board did not vote on the policy Monday; members asked staff to solicit final feedback and return with the policy for approval at the next meeting.
