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Montoursville Area SD discusses social‑media checks, enforcement as cell‑phone incidents fall to zero
Summary
District staff told the board that discipline incidents tied to phones have dropped to zero at the high school since a cell‑phone policy; the board discussed adding LinkedIn and other public social‑media checks as part of applicant screening and debated how to hold noncompliant teachers accountable.
At its Feb. 25 work session, the Montoursville Area School District board discussed additional background‑check measures that include reviewing public social‑media profiles and enforcement of the district's cell‑phone policy.
A staff member told the board the district performs standard clearances and has added social‑media reviews to its checks, noting LinkedIn was recently added to the list. When asked whether the district requests passwords, a staff speaker said the district does not have the right to ask for passwords and instead reviews what is publicly available.
The conversation moved to discipline outcomes. The staff member reported that "we've gone down to 0 incidents of harassment and bullying in the high school because the majority of those were over phones," citing post‑policy data. A resident commenter challenged teachers' compliance with the policy and said she intends to identify teachers who have violated it; she said such teachers "will be held accountable." The staff speaker replied that there are documentation and disciplinary steps and that enforcement has occurred through documentation, but noted limits because of collective‑bargaining protections.
Board members and staff agreed to continue the discussion and consider whether changes to screening or clearer enforcement steps are necessary. No new personnel policy was adopted at the work session; staff said they would bring additional options and any recommended language back to the board for consideration.
