Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cell Phone Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board signals interest in state‑funded phone‑free pilot; will update code of conduct language
Summary
Board members gave consent for staff to submit a letter expressing district interest in participating in the state’s funded pilot to study high‑school phone bans; staff also flagged needed changes to the student code of conduct and public outreach requirements if Clay joins a pilot.
The board signaled support to explore participation in a state‑funded pilot to test phone‑free high school days and directed staff to proceed with next steps if state funding is available.
A district principal briefed the board on recent legislation (House Bill 1105) that bans elementary and middle school phone use during school hours and authorizes a pilot in up to six counties to study the effect of restricting phone use at the high school level. The presenter said the Department of Education would partner with participating districts to collect academic and behavioral data and that a vendor, Yondr, had offered to fully fund participating pilot districts’ equipment in year one.
The presenter stressed he was not advocating for Yondr specifically but sought board direction to express interest in the pilot. Yondr’s system uses lockable pouches and unlocking stations; the vendor supplies parent‑communication materials, policy development templates and staff training. The presenter summarized vendor claims of improved engagement, discipline referrals down roughly a third in cited cases, and anecdotal academic gains. He noted the district’s existing policy permits limited phone use at lunch and that participating in a pilot would require changing local policy and code‑of‑conduct language.
Board members raised practical issues: logistics for pouch distribution and unlocking; medical and assistive‑technology exemptions; how to handle lunch and transition times; potential use of dummy phones; and parental communication and emergency contact procedures. The presenter estimated vendor pouches cost about $30 each in future years and said the pilot sponsor had proposed fully funding the first year so the district would not bear upfront equipment costs if the state pilot funding remained available.
After discussion the board gave consensus for the superintendent to submit a letter of interest so Clay could be considered for the pilot and asked staff to plan necessary code‑of‑conduct and policy revisions, parent outreach and a timeline for public notice if participation moves forward. The superintendent noted the December 2026 reporting deadline in the legislation for the commissioner’s pilot findings and said the board may need a special meeting to meet required notice and adoption timelines if the pilot is confirmed. Ending: Staff will return with a plan for outreach, proposed policy language and a timeline once the state budget and pilot selection are confirmed.
