Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Discipline Cellphones topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake County Schools board approves revised cell phone policy, gives principals discretion
Summary
After extended discussion, the Lake County Schools Board approved policy 6.312 on student cell-phone use with edits that emphasize principal/designee authority and remove teacher-level automatic permission language.
The Lake County Schools Board of Education on an affirmative vote approved a revised student cell-phone policy (policy 6.312) after discussion about classroom use, discipline and consistent enforcement.
Board members debated the balance between classroom instructional uses and classroom disruptions, then agreed to edits that make the building principal or a named designee responsible for granting and overseeing routine in-class phone use. The board removed a provision that would have stated a teacher may independently grant permission for phone use. "I don't like the cell phones at all. If they were to use them for some reason, I would like to know ahead of time and approve that," said Miss Campbell, a building principal, during the discussion.
The revised wording retains flexibility for principals and their leadership teams to adopt building-level procedures (for example, turning phones in each morning or allowing limited use for instruction) while giving the principal authority to set consequences and approve teacher requests. Board members emphasized that handbooks, which school administrators adopt, should mirror whichever policy version the board approves so parents and staff understand the process for appeals and due process.
Board members described examples of current practice and consequences at various schools: at one high school, a teacher takes a phone for a first offense and returns it at the end of class, a second offense requires pickup at 3 p.m., and a third offense requires a parent to retrieve the phone and may lead to additional restrictions. Several principals said middle-school students more often need the desks-and-locker approach or a morning turn-in system to limit bathroom recordings and other incidents.
After edits were suggested and agreed on, the board moved to adopt the policy with the changes. The motion passed by voice vote.
Board members said the handbook language and an administrative matrix should spell out consistent consequences so parents can appeal through the district's process if necessary. The board directed staff to align building handbooks with the approved policy language and to return with any recommended handbook edits during the August meeting cycle if needed.
