Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Devices Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts districtwide ban on student personal electronic devices (Policy 56-95)
Summary
The South Country Central School District Board adopted Policy 56-95, which prohibits visible possession of personal electronic devices during the school day (K-5: not brought or stored out of sight; grades 6-12: stored in lockers), with administrative procedures for collection, ticketing and limited liability for the district. Trustees discussed enforcement and parent concerns before voting unanimously.
The South Country Central School District Board voted to adopt Policy 56-95 ("Students and Personal Electronic Devices"), a districtwide prohibition on visible possession of personal electronic devices during the school day.
Superintendent Santana summarized the policy during a second reading and said districts that have already implemented similar bans reported largely positive outcomes. Key features outlined at the meeting include: K-5 students are asked not to bring Internet-enabled devices (including smartwatches) to school; exceptions will be made for unsupervised walkers and other special circumstances with secure in-school storage; grades 6-12 students must store devices in lockers for the school day and will not have access to them until dismissal. Santana described an administrative process for handling contraband devices, including placing devices in envelopes and issuing a ticket or code to the student for retrieval. "If there are multiple occurrences, we may ask the parents to come in and pick up the cell phone," Santana said, describing escalation steps and efforts to avoid turning enforcement into a punitive conflict.
Trustees raised enforcement and liability concerns. One trustee noted that phones are often property of parents and questioned whether collecting devices created legal exposure; Santana said the district will not assume liability for devices and will develop a retrieval acknowledgment form. Trustees also discussed staff training and supports to help administrators manage contentious retrievals.
Board action: after discussion and clarification about operational details, the board voted to adopt Policy 56-95; the superintendent indicated the district must adopt the policy by Aug. 1 to comply with implementation timelines discussed at the meeting. Chair and trustees recorded the adoption as unanimous.
What changes for families and students: the policy shifts to a centralized communications and enforcement model (administration-run collection and storage during school hours). The administration said it will provide parent workshops and staff training before implementation.
Authorities: Policy 56-95 was identified by administration as the district policy number for the student-device prohibition; the board also discussed administrative procedures rather than new statute.
