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Norfolk Public Schools board approves bell-to-bell cell-phone policy after extended debate
Summary
After public comment and debate about enforcement and junior-high pilot results, the Norfolk Public Schools Board approved a bell-to-bell policy restricting student phone use during the school day at the senior high; board members emphasized implementation details will be worked out over the summer.
The Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education approved a revised electronic-communication policy that would require senior-high students to keep phones secured and powered off for the school day, with administrators responsible for final implementation details.
Board members spent more than an hour debating enforcement, open-campus seniors, and the scope of the rule before voting. Supporters pointed to a junior-high pilot the district ran this school year, and district staff presented referral data showing reductions in phone-related office referrals (April down from 33 to 11) and lower running totals compared with the prior year. “I’ve seen the success of the junior-high pilot,” one trustee said during discussion, urging consistent, districtwide expectations.
Opponents warned the policy as written raised practical enforcement challenges and said the district should first ensure consistent application of the existing policy. A board member urged administrators to provide concrete procedures for students who do not use lockers, and asked how the policy would treat open-campus seniors who leave school grounds during the day.
Public commenters had urged stronger restrictions. Bob Sloppenbach told the board he wanted phones out of classrooms and suggested classroom cameras for accountability: “It’s vital they have access to a phone” in emergencies, he said, but otherwise phones are distractions. Mark Alban and a substitute teacher who testified said the junior-high pilot improved student focus and classroom interactions.
The motion on the second and final reading of Policy 61-13 carried; the board announced that two members voted no (Terry Bauer and Tom Stanton). The board directed administrators to work on implementation language, address open-campus scenarios and handbook alignment over the summer, and return with further details as procedures are developed.
Next steps: board members said they expect the administration to present implementation guidance and recommended language for open-campus exceptions, with follow-up reporting planned once the policy is in place.
