DeWitt board continues middle‑school cell‑phone locker pilot, excludes smartwatches for now
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Summary
The DeWitt Public Schools Board voted to continue its middle‑school cell‑phone locker pilot through the 2025–26 school year but amended the proposal to exclude smartwatches from the locker requirement; the amendment passed with one member opposed.
The DeWitt Public Schools Board of Education voted to continue a pilot requiring middle‑school students to keep cell phones in their lockers but amended the plan so smartwatches, earbuds and AirPods are not included in that locker requirement for the 2025–26 school year.
The change came during discussion of a proposed update to the DeWitt Middle School handbook (policy 51 36). Board members and staff debated enforcement, safety and whether students would substitute other devices if phones were restricted. After discussion, the board agreed to continue the pilot as implemented during the current school year and to reevaluate before the 2026–27 school year. The motion to adopt the amendment carried by voice vote with one member recorded as opposed.
Becky Manika, DeWitt Middle School principal, described how the program has been working day‑to‑day: "She has been coming to school for sometimes 5 days a week... Teachers are able to check her out, and so I handed out a pamphlet in front of you," noting staff training and student routines in the context of broader student supports (presentation on the therapy dog occurred earlier in the meeting). Manika also said teachers and staff monitor device use and that training had been provided to shape expectations.
Board members raised specific concerns about smartwatches during the debate. One board member said smartwatches can replicate many phone functions — calling, texting and transmitting notifications — and argued they can create the same distractions as phones. Others noted parents use wearable devices for safety and fitness tracking and urged either allowing watches in airplane mode or leaving enforcement discretion to school staff.
The board did not adopt the handbook language that would broadly require all listed personal electronic devices to be kept in lockers. Instead it approved continuing the current phone‑in‑locker pilot at the middle school while excluding smartwatches, earbuds and AirPods from the mandatory locker requirement. The board directed staff to monitor the pilot and report back prior to the 2026–27 school year.
No fines, specific enforcement steps or a vote tally naming who voted which way were recorded in the public transcript; the board's stated next step is to revisit the pilot’s results and any recommended policy changes before the next school year.