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Parent advocate urges board to remove GPS ban from cell‑phone policy, says devices are lifesaving for some students
Summary
Brenda Marks told the board the December cell‑phone policy’s additional wording banning GPS tracking devices denies parents lifesaving tools used by some students with autism and communication challenges and that state guidance does not prohibit such devices.
Brenda Marks told the Hampton City School Board on Feb. 12 that the division’s December revision to its cell‑phone policy wrongly added wording that prohibits GPS tracking devices and that the prohibition harms families who rely on devices such as Project Lifesaver or AngelSense to keep children with moderate to severe communication needs safe.
Marks said she contacted the governor’s office and the Virginia Department of Education, and that the VDOE guidance she received does not restrict GPS tracking devices. She told the board she will consult the ACLU in about three weeks to discuss options for removing the four words she described as unnecessary and harmful.
Marks said she understands certain exemptions exist but argued the added language creates an unnecessary barrier for families that rely on tracking devices to protect children who are at risk of wandering or who have complex communication needs.
Under the board’s public‑comment rules, there was no public back‑and‑forth. The district’s published public‑comment protocol directs matters requiring further response to the superintendent’s office for research and reply at a later meeting if appropriate.
Marks urged the board to remove the words banning GPS tracking devices; she said she emailed board members and asked the division to reconsider the policy wording before legal steps are pursued.
