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Madison board opens wide debate on restricting student cell‑phone use; administration to draft survey
Summary
After an extended discussion, the Madison Board of Education directed administrators to develop a community survey and recommendations on whether to adopt a bell‑to‑bell cell‑phone restriction, weighing mental‑health and safety arguments against implementation and equity concerns.
The Madison Public Schools Board of Education spent more than an hour debating whether to limit student cell‑phone use for the full school day and directed the superintendent to draft a community survey to guide next steps.
The discussion began after the superintendent reviewed the district’s current administrative regulation: K–5 discourages phones in school, middle schools use a bell‑to‑bell approach with phones kept out of sight and in lockers, and the high school permits phones at passing time, lunch, study hall and after school. Board members offered contrasting views on a proposed “bell‑to‑bell” ban.
"I love the 6–8 bell to bell. The no phones out, silenced in backpacks, and…
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