Board adopts Derby High School cell-phone restriction after close 4-3 vote

Derby Board of Education members adopted revisions to the Derby High School student handbook on June 23 in a 4-3 vote that implements restrictions on student cell-phone use during large portions of the school day.

Supporters said the policy is intended to improve learning and student mental-health outcomes. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Becky Mader, who moved approval, told the board the handbook "reflects what is truly in the best interest of our students" and cited committee input from parents, teachers and administrators.

Opponents raised concerns about supervision and enforcement, particularly in large lunch periods. Several board members who opposed the measure said they favored a different approach — one said she would support a "bell-to-bell" ban (prohibiting phones during the entire instructional day) but voted against the current language because of logistics around lunch supervision and staffing. Board members supportive of the change said they expect to reassess stricter restrictions after the first-year implementation.

The vote was taken after discussion at prior workshops and at the June 23 meeting. The board recorded the motion as passing 4-3; the transcript does not contain a roll-call naming each individual vote.

Implementation steps noted by administrators include circulating the revised handbook to families and monitoring discipline and attendance metrics during the fall semester. Board members asked administration to prepare an implementation update for a future meeting and said the board could revisit a more restrictive policy if enforcement or student outcomes warrant it.

The handbook change takes effect on the date of adoption, and administration will follow standard notification procedures for students and families.