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Policy committee debates cellphone rules: bell‑to‑bell, exemptions and confiscation procedures
Summary
Trustees and staff debated a draft student personal device policy that would require students to silence and stow devices during the instructional day, allow staff discretion at high school, and set expectations for parent communication and secure handling of confiscated devices.
District staff presented a revised draft of a student personal device policy and took detailed board feedback on scope, exceptions and implementation. Staff said the policy is intended to create consistency across Wake County Schools while allowing principals limited flexibility where appropriate.
Staff explained the draft sets the baseline that students must keep personal devices silenced and put away between morning and afternoon bells; staff and trustees debated whether the district should specify “instructional” time, the first/last class bell or a different local marker for that period. Trustees asked staff to clarify whether schools may adopt more restrictive rules than the district baseline and to define precisely when the restriction begins and ends.
The committee discussed three recurring operational questions: (1) how to handle students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), 504 plans or medical plans that require device access; (2) whether and when staff should confiscate devices; and (3) how and when the district must notify parents. Staff said IEPs and 504 plans are communicated to teachers through ECATS and 504 contacts and that accommodations will be preserved; they recommended building standard sub‑plan language so substitutes will be aware of exceptions.
On confiscation, staff proposed language that confiscated devices “must be stored securely until the device is returned to the student or parent/guardian.” Board members debated how to make that operational—locked drawer, central office storage or other options—and expressed concern about teacher liability if a device is lost while in school custody. Trustees asked staff to develop a practical, low‑burden storage and retrieval approach that minimizes risk to devices and staff while retaining an escalation path for repeated violations.
High school rules drew specific attention. Staff kept language allowing teacher discretion and instructional exceptions at the high‑school level; some trustees asked to preserve limited in‑day access (for project work, recording video or during non‑instructional periods like lunch), while others argued for stricter “bell‑to‑bell” limits to reduce distractions. The draft also addresses student use on buses, prohibits distracting use while a bus is in operation, and directs students to follow driver instructions.
The committee requested clearer implementation materials for principals, teachers and families: suggested items included a district communications plan explaining how parents should contact schools, model teacher scripts and substitute‑plan instructions, and a memo to principals explaining their authority to set site procedures within district parameters. Staff reported they will prepare materials for an upcoming work session and continue to refine the draft; no formal action was taken on the policy at the committee meeting.
