Student phones and school policy draw public comment; speaker urges supervised use during lunch and transitions
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Summary
A public commenter asked the board to allow student phone use during lunch and transitions and to permit teacher-authorized classroom use, citing House Bill 959 and county examples; board discussion of wireless-device policy revisions took place earlier in the meeting.
During the public comment segment on Nov. 17, several residents spoke about district projects and policy; a high-school student urged the board to allow phones during noninstructional times.
William Mullenax told the board that allowing phones during lunch and transitions would teach digital citizenship and better reflect workforce expectations. "Allowing responsible phone use isn't about giving students free rein," Mullenax said, urging the board to permit supervised classroom use and noninstructional access at high schools. He cited House Bill 959 and examples from other North Carolina counties that permit phones during noninstructional periods.
Earlier in the meeting the board discussed policy 4318 (wireless communication devices) and suggested clarifying language around noninstructional use and how consequences intersect with the student code of conduct. Legal counsel advised keeping statutory language where statute prescribes specific exceptions.
What's next: The board accepted public comments; policy 4318 revisions were approved earlier in the meeting and staff will ensure consistency with student-code procedures and statute.