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Parents and PTA members urge firmer cell-phone enforcement as suspension disparities persist
Summary
During public comment at the June 9 Ithaca City School District board meeting, parents and PTA representatives urged stronger enforcement of the district's student cell-phone policy and highlighted rising out-of-school suspension rates in the district's 2025 equity report card, with disproportionate impacts on Black students and students with disabilities.
A string of public commenters at the Ithaca City School District board of education meeting on June 9 urged the board to strengthen how it enforces the district’s cell‑phone rules and to address what they described as sharply rising suspension rates.
A parent who identified herself as a caregiver told the board the district’s current approach — phone pouches and rules that allow students to keep phones on their person so long as they are not used — amounted to weak implementation. The parent cited national developments and research linking phone use and social‑media platforms to youth mental‑health harms, saying, “Social media is the new cigarette for kids.” (Public commenter)
Britt, an active PTA council member, pressed the board to act on the district’s 2025 equity report card and gave detailed subgroup figures she said the report shows: "Black and African American students" at 13% overall for out‑of‑school suspensions; Black students with disabilities at 20%; Black male‑identifying students with disabilities at 22.5%; and, at the high‑school level for one narrowly defined subgroup, 48%. Britt said restorative practices, consistent codes of conduct and professional development have worked in the past and urged the district to return to those strategies.
Chair (speaker 2) and other board members responded during the board response portion of the meeting. One board member noted the state governor allowed districts to tailor the statewide cell‑phone ban and said the district is collecting data on its approach; another cautioned against policies that criminalize young people and stressed the need to avoid contributing to a "school‑to‑prison pipeline." (Chair; Board member)
The board did not take formal policy action on the cell‑phone rules that evening. Several board members said they want to balance concerns about student safety, the contractual and legal implications of implementation, and equity in enforcement as they consider next steps. The conversation concluded with a recognition that the issue will require sustained attention from district leadership and the board.
