Superintendent announces phone ban enforcement, calendar fix and proposed preschool tuition hikes

Superintendent Bialetti told the board that, beginning the Monday after spring recess, the district began enforcing a no-cell-phone, smartwatch and AirPod rule in schools and that administrators and teachers have been enforcing the policy. She said a formal policy will be developed for implementation by September 2026.

Bialetti also acknowledged an omission in next year’s academic calendar: the district omitted three built-in snow days and must attach them to the calendar. She said doing so will move the last day of school from Friday, June 18 to Wednesday, June 23, with high school graduation on June 22; the calendar correction will be on the May agenda for board approval.

On preschool tuition, the superintendent said the district surveyed neighboring districts and is among the lowest in the county. She said the administration is considering increasing half-day preschool tuition to $4,000 and full-day tuition to $8,000 and expects to bring the proposal to the board in May.

Why it matters: The cellphone rule affects day-to-day student conduct and classroom management; calendar and tuition changes affect families' planning and district revenues. The superintendent framed the calendar change as a compliance step to meet the statutory minimum days requirement and framed the tuition proposal as a county-comparison adjustment.

What’s next: The calendar amendment, the tuition proposal and a formal cell-phone policy are expected to appear on the May agenda for board consideration.