Board holds first reading of student cell‑phone policy; student think tank shaped early draft

The Lake Pend Oreille School District conducted a first reading of proposed policy 3265 on Dec. 10 that would govern student‑owned electronic communication devices.

District staff summarized more than a year of think‑tank work and conversations with staff, parents and students. Multiple student think‑tank members and staff said they favored incremental changes rather than an immediate full‑day ban. "We met with student groups across the district and the input I got was to not include [the stricter prohibition] this year," a staff presenter said, describing a recommendation to ‘baby step’ changes and revisit after a parent safety summit.

Board members raised practical questions, including whether brief passing‑period use (three to five minutes) or lunch access should be allowed and how quickly students could be monitored. Trustees also pressed whether phones could be allowed during school‑sanctioned events after hours and whether camera use in bathrooms and locker rooms should ever be permitted. On that point the presenter said restricting device use during school hours could address most concerns and that district administrators could provide additional guidance for after‑hours events.

Staff noted a procedural incentive: if the district completes the policy’s first read by Jan. 15, the district could receive $5,000 from the governor’s office. The presenter said the board could proceed with the first read at this meeting and bring finalized revisions back after a February student safety summit intended to increase parent buy‑in.

No formal policy adoption vote occurred; staff said they would continue outreach, collect additional feedback and return with recommended edits.