Policy committee moves to draft new student wireless-device rule after state law changes

At a Policy Committee meeting of the Culkin County Board of Education, members agreed to direct staff to draft a new district policy on possession and use of personal electronic devices that incorporates Coffee County’s existing policy language and the Warren County template, and that reflects recent state law requirements for exemptions and emergency use.

Committee members said the state change — summarized in House Bill 49-6-3 in meeting materials — requires explicit exceptions for students covered by IEPs or Section 504 plans and for emergency communication. Jennifer White, staff attorney for TSBA, advised the committee by email that those elements must be in any local policy, the committee reported.

The discussion centered on whether the district should adopt a strict ban or an “out of sight” approach. Several principals described how local enforcement practice varies and how logistics differ by school level. Dr. Anderson, a school principal, said that at his school "if it's out of their locker, it's taken up whether it's on or off," referring to confiscation when a device is seen or heard in class. Katrina Wright, assistant principal of the high school, summarized a recent visit to Warren County, saying Warren County staff "showed us the magnets that are used at the exits and entrances" and that many Warren County teachers and administrators reported the approach had reduced visible problems.

Committee members raised operational concerns the policy must address: how to define "instructional time," how to protect privacy when devices are used by students with disabilities, whether confiscated devices may be held overnight, and whether some classrooms lack enough Chromebooks to replace phone use. One principal reported discipline data for her 430-student school: 47 first-offense phone incidents this year, 12 second offenses and one incident in the most recent quarter, which she said suggested current enforcement is reducing repeat offenses.

The committee placed a motion on the floor to adopt the Warren County prohibition with two additions — explicit language allowing device use when included in an IEP/504 or individual learning plan and insertion of the district's emergency-notification wording — and that motion was seconded; the motion was later withdrawn so staff could draft a single combined policy. Members asked staff to: (1) transpose Coffee County Board of Education policy 6.312 into the Warren County template for lines covering allowable exceptions; (2) remove Warren County provisions that conflict with the state law; (3) draft offense/discipline language for later review; and (4) consult TSBA, Homeland Security (for safety-related guidance), and the district attorney about legal limits on examination and retention of student devices.

Committee members agreed to return a single consolidated draft in time for possible placement on the full board agenda before July 1, the deadline cited in the meeting for adopting a wireless-communication-device policy. The committee also voted to postpone the remainder of the agenda; that postponement motion passed during the meeting.