Racine board signals support for bell‑to‑bell cell‑phone ban; superintendent tasked with cost‑benefit plan
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Summary
Several board members urged a bell‑to‑bell ban on student cell phones to reduce distractions and improve learning; the superintendent will research implementation options, costs (pouches, staffing, communications), equity concerns and staged rollouts and return to the board with proposals.
A referral to strengthen student cell‑phone rules drew extensive discussion and broad board interest in a bell‑to‑bell ban that would prohibit phones on students’ persons during the entire school day, with limited exceptions.
Boardmember Coe and others described classroom enforcement problems and cited research and expert testimony arguing phones harm learning and student well‑being. Superintendent Gajewski explained the district’s current policy already prohibits phones during instructional time with limited exceptions (for translators, medical needs or staff‑directed classroom use) and cautioned that stricter rules would entail enforcement, safety and community‑communication tradeoffs. Boardmembers expressed concern about parent reaction and operational costs (for example pouches or supervision options), while multiple members said the potential learning benefits justify those tradeoffs.
The board directed Superintendent Gajewski to develop proposals with cost‑benefit analysis, potential phased implementations, options for single‑building pilots, and recommendations for how enforcement and parent communications would be handled. Staff will report back with implementation scenarios and estimated costs so the board can weigh options before adopting districtwide language (state law requires at minimum a ban during instructional time; some lawmakers have proposed statewide bell‑to‑bell language).