Beacon staff say district will prepare for governor's proposed 'bell‑to‑bell' cell‑phone ban

A district staff member told webinar participants that the Beacon City School District is preparing to implement whatever legislative outcome emerges from the governor's proposed change to statewide rules on student cellphone use.

"Our current cell phone policy is a clear classroom restriction," the presenter said, adding that middle- and high-school students are currently allowed to have phones out at lunch and recess. The presenter described the governor's proposal — still subject to the legislative process — as a "bell-to-bell" ban in which phones would need to be stored away for the entire school day.

The presenter said the district has not seen large discipline problems related to phones under the current policy and that teachers have generally been appreciative of the classroom restriction. At the same time, the presenter said the district plans to review and revise its policy this spring and summer in order to be prepared for any state-level requirement.

Funding question: the presenter noted the governor proposed funds to help schools implement such a ban, for example to purchase secure storage devices, and said the district will advocate for those funds to remain in the enacted budget. "That would be important for us," the presenter said, because storage devices and implementation support would be an additional cost for schools.

Uncertainty and next steps: district staff said they do not yet know the final legislative language and will wait for the enacted law before finalizing district policy and operational steps. The presenter said the staff will monitor legislative developments and the state budget and will update families as decisions are made.

Ending: the presenter invited questions and said the district will include any necessary policy changes in its planned spring/summer review cycle.