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Board approves districtwide ban on personal electronic devices; implementation planned for January
Summary
The board approved Policy JICJ (prohibition of personal electronic devices) on second reading and directed staff to implement it in January, with signage and communications to parents and monitoring of disciplinary data.
The Newberry County Board of Trustees on Dec. 16 approved Policy JICJ, a prohibition on personal electronic devices during the school day, adopting the policy on its second reading and directing staff to implement it in January.
The policy, described in meeting materials as aligned with State Department of Education guidance and model policies from the School Boards Association, will be implemented districtwide with local variations in how schools store student devices: some schools will require students to keep phones on their person secured, while others will implement lockers for cell phone storage. The district plans to distribute a "free to focus" pamphlet and install signs on campuses ahead of the January start.
Board members and staff emphasized that classroom or instructional exceptions will be allowed only when authorized in writing. The policy language includes an exception for "authorized classroom use or other authorized reasons" provided in writing, and principals were directed to ensure consistent enforcement across grade levels.
How it will be measured and enforced
Superintendent Presley and other staff said the district will monitor implementation and report relevant disciplinary metrics to the State and the board. The district expects the State Department of Education to review implementation data including in-school and out-of-school suspension counts and other disciplinary measures.
Officials said they will monitor the policy through the end of the school year and evaluate whether adjustments are needed.
What board members said
Mister Earl, who presented the policy material to the board, summarized the expected timeline: "We were looking at full implementation in January."
Board member Miss Lake emphasized communication and community buy-in and read language from another district's policy that she suggested adding: "Bringing a telecommunication device to school is a privilege. It's not a right."
Superintendent Presley said he had spoken with students and that they were "all in favor" in a recent discussion about the policy.
Next steps and caveats
The board approved the policy on second reading; staff will distribute materials to parents and principals before winter break and will return to the board with implementation data. Principals will be responsible for building-level procedures within the policy framework, and the district noted that authorized instructional uses will require written approval.
