Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Discipline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts handbooks aligned to Indiana—cellphone law; details on enforcement and discipline
Summary
Blackford County Schools updated junior/senior high and intermediate handbooks to comply with a new Indiana law banning student cell-phone use 'bell to bell'; board discussed enforcement, progressive discipline, and exceptions for medical needs and approved the handbooks.
The Blackford County Schools board reviewed and approved updates to student handbooks that implement Indiana's new cell-phone restriction requiring devices to be powered down or stored away for the school day.
Mrs. Meeley (S11), presenting the junior/senior high handbook changes, said the policy reflects the state law and clarified discipline: an initial school-year warning for all students, then a progressive ladder of 30-minute detention, 30-minute detention, 60-minute detention and, if necessary, in-school suspension and parent meetings. "We're going to tell them first day" that the initial warning is universal, she said.
The intermediate/primary handbook presenter (Gabriel, S8) said his buildings would follow the same bell-to-bell requirement and noted operational questions such as students who go to the nurse and contact parents from the classroom phone rather than personal devices. The board discussed teacher enforcement and modeling by staff; the superintendent said administrators will set a consistent tone and that exceptions (for documented medical needs such as diabetes) will be handled.
Board members asked for clear, written progressive-discipline steps to be distributed before school starts and suggested targeted training to ensure consistent enforcement across teachers and buildings. The board approved the handbooks by voice vote (recorded as motions carrying 4-0). The items were treated as routine approvals after discussion and will be implemented for the coming school year.
