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State board considers resolution urging local boards to restrict classroom cellphone use
Summary
Board members debated a draft resolution encouraging local school boards to limit student cellphone use in classrooms; the resolution preserves local control and the transcript records discussion but not a final vote.
The Alabama State Department of Education board discussed a draft resolution recommending that local school boards adopt policies restricting student cellphone use in classrooms.
State Superintendent Eric Mackie (referred to in the meeting as “Doctor Mackie”) told the board the draft was intended to provide a starting point for local boards and preserve local control. Mackie noted that state law (section referenced by staff as 16-1-27) already requires boards to adopt policies about electronic devices, but the proposed resolution would tighten common practice by encouraging local boards to prohibit use in instruction-time classrooms.
“There's a lot of research out now about the harms that social media can cause to students,” Mackie said, arguing the board’s resolution would encourage local boards to re-examine policies. He also said the department consulted outside groups — the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) and other stakeholders — and had adjusted draft language after public comment (for example replacing “annually” with a less prescriptive term at AASB’s request).
Board members raised practical questions about implementation, enforcement and exceptions for instructional uses. Miss McCrae, a board member, asked how Montgomery County’s districtwide ban (which prohibits devices all day, including hallways and lunch) was working. Staff described Montgomery’s approach as using lockboxes that block signals and reported parents and school leaders had noted declines in classroom distraction and discipline incidents after the ban. Board members discussed parents’ concerns about emergencies; presenters said districts generally route emergency communications through school leadership rather than direct parent-to-student contact during the school day.
The transcript shows the resolution was discussed as a possible item for a vote at a future meeting (February or March) and that the department planned further briefings with Montgomery County staff and invited local delegations to the upcoming retreat. The transcript does not include a recorded motion, roll-call vote or final outcome for the cellphone resolution.
Why it matters: Several districts and states have moved to ban or severely restrict student cellphone use during school hours, citing improved attention, reduced harassment and fewer discipline incidents; the board’s discussion signals state-level interest in encouraging local policy reviews without overriding local control.
