Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Behavior Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent urges review of cell-phone rule at lunch, board hears concerns about inconsistent enforcement
Summary
A parent told trustees her son had his phone taken during lunch while other students were allowed to keep theirs and asked the district to review lunchtime cell-phone rules and procedures for consistency.
At the start of the meeting’s public comment period, Tessa Stenger told the Prosser School District Board that the district should review its policy on student cell-phone use at lunchtime and during breaks.
Tessa said this is her first year with a child in the district after six years of homeschooling. She said her son had his phone confiscated at lunch while other students using phones at the same time were not. She said she did not sign district forms that would waive certain rights for her child and that she is not opposed to rules that prohibit phones in the classroom or bathroom but believes students should be allowed to use phones during personal time such as lunch. She noted situations in which a student may need to be reachable by a single parent or guardian and suggested the district consider a survey or ad hoc committee to revisit lunch-time policy and consequences.
Tessa asked the board to treat students as young adults where appropriate and suggested graduated consequences rather than blanket confiscations that may punish students who are not abusing devices.
Why it matters: Trustees heard a parent concern about perceived inconsistent enforcement and suggested the district may want to examine practical exceptions and communications about the rule to families.
Ending: The public-comment record shows the board heard the concern; no formal policy change or motion on cell-phone rules was made during the meeting.
