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Committee to draft K–8 'bell-to-bell' cell-phone policy; vote set for coming meeting
Summary
The committee agreed to pursue a district policy restricting cell-phone use during school hours for pre-K–8, using Attorney General guidance as a starting point, and to bring a draft policy for first reading at the next meeting.
The Concord-Carlisle school committee directed the administration Wednesday to draft a formal bell-to-bell cell-phone policy for pre-kindergarten through grade 8 and present it for a first reading at the next meeting.
Committee members discussed the Massachusetts Attorney General’s sample bell-to-bell policy as a starting template and agreed at a high level that the district should prohibit students’ cell-phone use during school hours. They asked administrators to exclude non-school events (after-school games, dances and off-site trips) from the K–8 restriction and to include standard exceptions for medical needs and IEP/504 accommodations.
Administrators and committee members emphasized that the committee’s role is to set policy, while enforcement details and discipline procedures belong to operations and should be handled at the administrative level. Members asked that the draft policy avoid operational minutiae (specific disciplinary consequences) while providing clear authority for staff to implement protocols and exceptions. The committee requested that the draft define school hours, specify the age range (pre-K through grade 8) and indicate which devices are covered; members favored focusing the policy on cell phones rather than attempting to enumerate all wearable or emerging devices.
Several members recommended waiting on a final decision for the high school population and addressing high-school rules separately in the fall because student needs and opinions differ by age. Members also asked the administration to coordinate with METCO and other community liaisons when drafting communications and to include input from parents, student representatives and staff in upcoming forums.
The administration said it will prepare a policy draft based on the Attorney General example and the committee’s direction, circulate it for committee review, and plan public forums or stakeholder input sessions for the fall. The committee planned a first reading at the next meeting and aims to consider a final vote before the end of the school year to allow implementation planning over the summer.
