Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
School committee weighs cellphone limits, stops short of districtwide ban
Summary
After students, staff and the superintendent described disruptions from phones, the Barnstable School Committee discussed bell-to-bell bans, 'off-and-away' rules, age-based exceptions and education strategies; no policy change was adopted at the Feb. 5 meeting.
The Barnstable School Committee devoted a substantial portion of its Feb. 5 meeting to cellphones and social media use in schools, hearing staff survey results, student views and model guidance from the state attorney general’s office but taking no policy vote.
Student perspective: Riley, a Barnstable High School student envoy, told the committee students rely on phones to coordinate with younger siblings and for internship communication, but acknowledged phones can be distracting. “I know that's going to be a topic you touch on later,” Riley said in a brief report; later conversation with administration elaborated on those points.
Administration and state guidance: Superintendent Sarah told the committee…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
