School committee agrees to survey students, teachers and families before deciding on cell‑phone policy
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Summary
After hours of debate about bell‑to‑bell bans, caddy systems and open campus logistics, the committee directed administration to draft surveys for students, teachers and PTGs and to return with consolidated stakeholder feedback to inform a proposed cell‑phone policy for the district.
The committee held an extended discussion about whether to adopt a formal board policy on student cell‑phone use or to retain handbook‑level rules. The superintendent reported a scan of Massachusetts districts showing varied approaches; some districts place rules in handbooks while others have board policies (including K–8 bell‑to‑bell approaches). The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) currently offers no model policy on the issue.
Committee members and administrators debated tradeoffs: educators argued a bell‑to‑bell policy removes on‑the‑spot adjudication for teachers and can simplify classroom management; administrators cautioned about high‑school logistics (open campus, flex scheduling) and equity issues for students without phones. Parents and public commenters urged both reduced in‑school distraction and retained phone access for off‑campus safety.
Administrators described current practice at the high school, where teachers use a caddy system (phones stored during instructional time) and school‑issued MacBooks have messaging/FaceTime disabled; some teachers also use screen‑monitoring software. The committee agreed that further stakeholder engagement is necessary before adopting a district policy.
Action: administration will draft surveys for teachers, students and PTGs, distribute them, and collect community feedback (including coffees and PTG outreach). The committee asked administration to return with survey results and a recommended policy draft at a future meeting.