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Hauppauge forms committee to study state guidance on student cell-phone restrictions
Summary
District administrators said state guidance may require locking student phones during the day; the district is forming a committee co-chaired by Dr. Murphy and teacher Miss Zamek to recommend local policy and implementation.
Dr. Murphy said statewide guidance on cell phones has surfaced and may require districts to restrict phone use during the school day. He told the board that some districts are already purchasing storage pouches or using lockers and that the state has allocated funding to support rollout; he estimated about $13,000,000 statewide for districts but said details remain undefined.
Dr. Murphy said he is co-chairing a district cell-phone committee with teacher Miss Zamek and that Mr. Michaels, teachers and parents will join the group to determine a local approach. “I will tell you that it is an issue, but we feel like we're in a good place,” Dr. Murphy said, noting existing classroom-level management practices such as teacher-kept storage on classroom doors at the high school.
The discussion was procedural and exploratory; the board did not adopt a formal policy. Dr. Murphy said the committee will include parents and staff and will recommend practices that balance classroom instruction with community concerns. He described the current state guidance as “a little vague” and said the committee will help translate state direction into district procedures.
No vote was taken. The district said the committee will return recommendations to the board once it has reviewed state guidance and local options.
