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School board adopts personal electronic devices policy; staff will model limits, consequences listed as defiance
Summary
The board approved a personal electronic devices policy that restricts student phone use during school; the district will use Trailshare for official communications and said violations will be treated as defiance under the student handbook.
The Sheridan County School District #3 board voted to adopt a personal electronic devices policy that restricts student use of phones and other personal devices during the school day.
Board discussion addressed common questions: coaches should not use text messaging to contact students (the district favors Trailshare or email for coach-student communications), teachers will model the expected behavior by not using phones during instructional time, and limited exceptions may be made for staff with emergency-service duties after administrative coordination.
The board discussed consequences: failure to comply with the policy will be treated under the district handbook as defiance; currently the handbook lists community school service as the initial consequence and escalating measures thereafter, the board said. The administration described logistical options for minimizing in-class distractions, such as pouches or lockers to keep phones out of sight and signal-blocking pouches for smart devices that deliver notifications.
Board members said the policy aligns with district goals to improve focus and social skills; after discussion the board adopted the personal electronic devices policy by voice vote.
