Fremont Ross to require phones be put away for the full instructional day under new state law

Fremont City Schools Superintendent informed the board that state legislative changes require districts to prohibit student use of electronic devices during the instructional day and outlined how the district will implement the requirement at Fremont Ross High School.

Under the change discussed at the meeting, the district said an "instructional day" is being defined to cover the entire school day, and that schools across the state must comply. The superintendent said the district was notified that the change takes effect when schools restart in January and described a local plan to comply.

Implementation steps at Fremont Ross include assigning lockers with locks to students classified as full-time (50% or more of their day) so phones can be secured, and creating a locked caddy in the attendance office for students who are in the building less than 50% of the day. The superintendent said staff will give students time at the start of the day to deposit devices so they can reach first period on time; the caddy will be supervised by office staff (named in the meeting as Mrs. Zizke). The superintendent also said exceptions will be made for documented medical needs or disability accommodations.

The superintendent described communications that went to families and staff: "We've made sure that every student that is in the building for what classifies as a full time student... will have access. They'll be assigned a locker with a lock, and their phone will go in there, and it will be safe." The superintendent emphasized the legal requirement, saying, "This is legal. This is a law aspect."

Board members asked whether the law applies to community or private schools; the superintendent said she would verify applicability beyond the public-district context but reinforced that public districts have no flexibility on state mandates. Members expressed support for the plan but raised practical questions about how families will receive communications and whether contact procedures will be reliable; the superintendent recommended that families ensure their ParentSquare contact information is current for emergency or routine communication while phones are inaccessible.

Exceptions and student supports: the superintendent said staff have planned for students who need to make calls from the office for legitimate reasons (forgotten lunch, change in pickup) and that the attendance office will continue to support those communications. The board also noted that community and district staff had already discussed the new language in policy committee meetings and that the high-school administration had been preparing students in advance.

What’s next: the board received the update as information; policy changes related to device rules will return in the normal policy-review process for formal reading and approval. The superintendent said the district will begin the new practice when school resumes in January.