Board proposes K–8 device ban in handbooks, reviews draft remote‑learning plan

Caswell County Schools trustees on Jan. 22 reviewed proposed handbook changes that would place an existing district device policy into individual school handbooks and considered a draft remote-learning plan the board had requested.

Speaker 3 told the board the policy language from policy 4.318 would be inserted into both elementary and middle-school handbooks and reminded trustees that the board previously voted for K–8 students to be without devices during instructional hours beginning at the start of the second semester. "We voted for K–8 to go without devices during the instructional day, to be effective at the beginning of the second semester," Speaker 3 said. The meeting identified Jan. 22 as the effective date discussed.

On remote learning, Speaker 3 said the district’s current practice is to avoid remote learning unless absolutely necessary because of equity and instructional challenges and presented a draft plan covering pre-K through grade 12. The draft would require certified staff to be available for 7.5 hours on a remote day, provide remote instructional work comparable to substitute plans, and keep a log to document accountability. "It is our current practice to not utilize remote learning unless we absolutely have to because of the challenges remote learning brings to an instructional day," Speaker 3 said.

Board members raised clarifying questions about handbook language (for example, whether after-school activities are covered) and asked staff to notate changes. Speaker 1 called for a motion to adopt the handbook changes after discussion, but the transcript does not record a second or a vote in the provided segments.

What’s next: Staff will update handbook language per the board’s clarifications, finalize the remote-learning draft based on feedback and circulate those materials for future board action.