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Prescott board advances first reading of bell‑to‑bell device policy
Summary
The Prescott School District board accepted a first reading of proposed policy 5136 to require students to check personal devices into school‑designated storage for the instructional day, following presentations from the high‑school principal and teachers citing academic and safety concerns.
At its July meeting, the Prescott School District Board of Education accepted the first reading of a proposed change to policy 5136 that would require students to secure personal communication devices in school‑designated storage from the start to the end of the instructional day.
Josh Figge, the Prescott High School principal, told the board the proposal is "really not about phones...it's about learning," and cited national and state research he said links device access during school to declines in cognition and increased rates of bullying and anxiety. Figge noted Wisconsin’s recent Act 42 required districts to restrict device use during instructional time and that many districts are moving toward a bell‑to‑bell approach.
Special education teacher Shana Claussen described classroom impacts. "We're at almost 50% of the behavior referrals that they are seeing every year are just cell phone violations," she said, saying teachers routinely spend multiple daily interactions policing devices instead of teaching. Claussen and Figge told the board teachers, school nurses and counselors support the change.
Administrators described an enforcement model that would require students to check devices into a homeroom or school‑approved secure location and retrieve them at the end of their instructional day; accommodations would be made for students who need early release for appointments or activities. Figge and staff also reported input from the district school resource officer, who warned that live device access during incidents can spread misinformation and complicate emergency response.
Board members asked about enforcement logistics, parent communication and timing given the summer presentation. Administration said staff will consult teachers, counselors and the police, and will send a parent communication and collect feedback before a second reading. A board member moved to accept the first reading; the motion passed by voice vote. The policy will return for a second reading at the board's next regular meeting.
The first reading does not finalize implementation; the board will have another opportunity to amend the text and to consider parent feedback at the second reading.
