District adopts state-model student cellphone ban with added administrative discretion

The Anderson School District One board approved policy JJ — the student personal electronic device (cell phone) policy based on a state model — on its second reading after trustees adopted a locally proposed amendment clarifying enforcement during noninstructional time.

Miss Burgess moved the amendment to add that "if a student violates the proceeding rules during noninstructional time the administrator has the discretion to waive consequences. However, misuse of personal electronic devices that involve harassment, intimidation, or any form of bullying will be subject to severe disciplinary action." That amendment was debated and accepted by the board; trustees then voted to approve policy JJ as amended and staff said they will submit the policy to the state.

District officials explained the amendment preserves the state-required policy’s broad prohibition while giving principals and other administrators flexibility to avoid conflict in ordinary school settings (for example, a student quietly using a phone at lunch for anxiety-related communication). Dr. Wilson told trustees the state has “teeth” behind the model policy: districts that do not submit an approved policy by the state’s deadline risk a funding penalty the district described in the meeting as a 10% reduction of state funds beginning in January; staff said most peer districts have adopted the state model to avoid that potential loss.

The board asked administration to send the amended policy to the South Carolina School Boards Association for review and to submit the final policy to the state by the required deadline. Staff will circulate the final, approved language to trustees once edits are incorporated.