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Board weighs approach to state cell‑phone guidance; district to hold current practice while planning
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Portis told the board that state legislative language and NJDOE guidance on a potential 'bell‑to‑bell' cell‑phone ban are unclear; he recommended keeping current local practices and continuing collaborative planning with students, staff and families, with accommodations for medical and 504/IEP needs.
The Pequannock Township School District Board of Education discussed potential changes to policy on Internet‑enabled devices during its May 11 workshop as lawmakers and NJDOE officials interpret recent state language differently.
"What the legislature apparently intended was pretty much what we have at the high school, which is that students do not have access to their phones during class, but they may use them in passing time as well as during the lunch block," Superintendent Dr. Portis said, summarizing competing interpretations in Trenton. He said the NJDOE's early reading of the legislation suggested a bell‑to‑bell ban, while legislative intent may have been narrower.
Portis recommended the district hold to current practices that mirror high‑school procedures and continue inclusive planning for stakeholders, including input from students and families, and careful consideration of special‑education and medical exemptions for students with 504 plans or individualized medical needs.
Board members raised enforcement and equity concerns, and one member noted national studies that found mixed academic effects of device bans and an initial spike in disciplinary actions after implementation. Portis said accommodations for students who require devices for medical monitoring (for example, continuous glucose monitors) are nonnegotiable and would be preserved under 504/IEP processes.
No formal policy change was adopted at the workshop; the board will continue planning and monitoring guidance from the NJDOE and the legislature.
