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Board adopts stricter cell phone rules for students, cites teacher burden
Summary
After public comment from teachers, the Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools board approved revised cell phone policy: no use for elementary and middle students and high schools limited to lunchtime with devices powered down and out of sight; staff to publish guidance on infraction tracking.
The Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education on June 25 approved a revised district cell phone policy that sets a no‑use expectation for elementary and middle school students and limits high school phone use to lunchtime with devices powered down and out of sight.
The policy revisions were brought to the board after a special policy committee review. In public comment, middle school teacher Frankie Santoro urged clearer enforcement and questioned the policy’s infraction thresholds: "If we have a no cell phone policy for elementary and middle school students, during the school day, why are we waiting for the third infraction before a phone is confiscated?" Santoro said teachers are seeking consistent, enforceable standards that do not add administrative burden.
Another public commenter, Alan Daniel, urged an absolute ban and raised concerns about staff workload and student social interaction. District leaders said committee changes addressed the number of infractions and included language that devices must be turned off and kept out of sight; staff acknowledged enforcement challenges where students do not carry book bags and said ‘out of sight’ would be enforced pragmatically.
Board members pressed staff for clarity on how teachers would track infractions across different classrooms and on whether sanctions would place undue enforcement duties on classroom teachers. The board voted unanimously to adopt the revisions and directed staff to publish guidance for schools about tracking infractions, expectations for powered‑down devices and operational procedures for administrators.
What the policy says in practice: no visible or in‑use personal devices for elementary and middle school students during the school day; high school students may use devices only at lunch and must leave them powered down and out of sight at other times. Staff said a follow‑up communication will clarify whether phones must be physically stowed (e.g., in a backpack) where feasible and provide an infractions tracking template for schools.
The board recorded the motion and passed the policy without recorded opposition. District staff will return with implementation details and guidance for principals and teachers.
