Colleton County board adopts policy banning phone use during instructional day; buses, extracurriculars exempted

The Colleton County School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Dec. 10 to adopt a revised policy (JICJ) that bars student use of electronic communication devices during the instructional day while allowing phones on school buses and at extracurricular events.

The change, approved as a second reading after board discussion, updates the district’s existing phone rules to align with a state proviso the board said requires prohibition of phone use during instruction. The adopted text removes a previously listed set of numbered offenses and says violations will be handled under the district’s progressive-discipline plan.

The policy drew public input from a Colleton County High School student, who told the board she and classmates were told phones would be banned on school property and said that prohibition raised practical concerns. “If we can’t have our phones on school property, we cannot have our phones on the school bus,” Emma Fitch, a 10th-grade student, said at the meeting. She said many students rely on buses with inconsistent arrival times and worried they would be unable to contact parents if events (for example a late bus) left them waiting. Fitch also asked whether the restriction would apply to non-instructional activities held in school buildings and whether students could secure phones in assigned lockers or “Yonder Pouches.”

Board members and staff responded that the revised policy implements the state proviso’s instructional-day restriction but does not extend the ban to buses or approved extracurricular activities. The board noted the policy’s text intentionally defers specific sanctions to the district’s progressive-discipline procedures rather than listing first-, second- or third-offense penalties in the policy itself.

During discussion, board members asked administrators to ensure consistent implementation and to communicate details to students, parents and bus drivers. Superintendent Williams and board staff said the district will provide guidance to schools about where phones may be stored during instructional hours and how progressive-discipline steps will be applied locally. The board also asked staff to consider implementation logistics raised by Fitch — including office-phone access and how after-school activities will be handled — and to return with clarifying guidance as needed.

The motion to approve the second reading of Policy JICJ was made from the bench and carried unanimously. The board’s policy committee had reviewed the document and told members the version available in BoardDocs that evening was not the correct draft; staff distributed the correct, updated text to trustees before the vote.

Board members said they welcomed the student’s input and emphasized that the policy change responds to a state-level requirement while leaving building-level enforcement and progressive-discipline details to administrators and principals. The board did not provide a vote-by-name tally in the public record; the clerk recorded the action as approved by all members present.

Implementation steps noted during the meeting included distributing the final policy text to staff and families, issuing site-level instructions about where students should secure phones during instructional time, and reminding testing coordinators that electronic devices remain prohibited during state and local exams.

The board approved the policy at the Dec. 10 meeting and directed staff to provide follow-up implementation guidance to trustees and the public.