Board approves revised electronic-device policy; high-school language sent back for 45-day review

The Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees approved a revised electronic-device policy and directed staff to send the high-school portion back out for 45 days after trustees voted to remove a provision allowing parent pickup for confiscated devices at the high-school level.

Trustee Emily Mercer moved to strike the sentence allowing repeat high-school offenders to require parent pickup of confiscated devices; Trustee Hayes seconded. After public comment that largely supported stricter phone limits, the board voted unanimously to approve the amendment and to post the policy revisions for a 45-day public comment period.

Several public commentators urged a stricter, schoolwide phone ban. Morgan Schlumberger told the board that districts around the country “are going increasingly, completely phone free” and urged the board to apply the same standard to high schools as the K–8 component. Erica Peterman said the policy fight reflects a larger funding and community issue and urged the board to shape school community norms. Porter Hammond and other commenters argued phones cause distraction, bullying and mental-health harms.

Superintendent Micah Hill said the revisions were reviewed by legal counsel and that most technical edits had been incorporated. Trustees asked whether the revised text applied equally to elementary and high school settings; a majority expressed support for removing the parent-pickup language from the high-school section so the district can finalize a consistent approach.

The board’s vote sent the revised policy out for the required comment period; trustees will consider any public input received during that 45-day window before taking a final adoption vote.