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Superintendent reports summer enrollment, $12M in facilities work and proposes 'bell-to-bell' phone ban
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Hazel told the board the district enrolled over 400 students in Summer Academy, outlined about $12 million in planned facility work for FY27 and announced a proposed bell-to-bell student cell phone ban to be reviewed by the policy committee this summer and considered in August.
Superintendent Dr. Hazel told the Freehold Regional High School District Board that the district's Summer Academy enrolled "over 400 students" at Freehold Township High School and that the Extended School Year program began July 6 with "approximately 141 students" at Manalapan.
Dr. Hazel outlined a wide range of facility projects under way or planned across the six high schools: science-lab renovations in five buildings (including demolition and new equipment), resurfaced tennis courts, roofing projects, new gym floors and bleachers, HVAC rooftop-unit replacements, generator upgrades, paving and a wastewater-treatment-plant refurbishment at Colts Neck High School. She said the administration is planning for "about $12,000,000 going into our facility" for fiscal year 2027.
On student conduct and classroom focus, Dr. Hazel announced a proposed district policy that would prohibit student cell-phone use "bell to bell," require phones to be placed in lockers and include internet-enabled devices such as smartwatches and tablets. "The policy will be reviewed with the board policy committee," she said, and the administration plans to bring a draft to the board for approval in August with full implementation in September.
Dr. Hazel framed the phone policy as part of a focus on student mental health and classroom engagement: "Our prioritization is... student mental health, and we want them fully engaged in school." She said consequences will be "very severe" for phones taken out during the school day under the proposed rule; details will be developed with administrators during the summer.
The board will consider the formal policy when it appears on the August agenda; if adopted, schools would implement it at the start of the academic year in September.
