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Parent urges looser phone rules at lunch, raises bathroom-pass concerns; board hears student feedback
Summary
During public comment, Tessa Stanger urged the board to allow middle-school students to use cell phones at lunch and raised concerns about bathroom-pass practices. A board member later reported informal student feedback indicating support for the current no-phone norms at school.
A parent, Tessa Stanger, addressed the board during the hearing-from-visitors portion to urge changes to the district’s cell-phone policy and to raise concerns about bathroom-pass practices.
Stanger said she believes students aged 13 should be allowed to use cell phones during lunch and breaks and argued that the current restriction creates hardships for families (for example, parents working swing shifts who rely on lunchtime contact). She asked the board to reconsider the junior-high policy and asked staff to review how bathroom passes are issued and tracked, suggesting a process where bathroom passes are also copied to the child’s email or the principal’s office to improve accountability.
Board member Shell later reported that she had surveyed several middle-school students about lunchtime phone use; she said none of the students she asked supported allowing phones at lunch and that students felt phone-free lunches helped engagement and level the playing field. The board did not take action; the item remained a public comment and will be considered if staff or board members add it as an agenda item in the future.
