Dufur board weighs strict student cell‑phone policy, asks administration to pilot changes after April

The Dufur School District board on March 3 reviewed a draft electronic‑device policy that would tighten limits on student phone use and pilot a pouch‑based system for storing devices during the school day.

Supporters said the policy offers a consistent, districtwide approach for teachers and administrators to follow. "I personally would really like to see that their devices are off from the time they get to school till the time they go home," said a board member (Committee member) during the discussion, arguing the change would reduce online bullying and increase in‑person interaction. Administrators described options including teacher‑assigned pouches, office check‑ins and a stepped disciplinary progression rather than immediate out‑of‑school suspension.

Administrators and trustees pressed on enforceability. "We need to make sure we can enforce what we write down," the superintendent said, urging the board to focus on policies the district can practically implement. Trustees asked staff to study peer districts; the board agreed administration should interview Baker City to see what enforcement looks like in practice and return with revisions.

Board members also raised concerns about shifting the burden to classroom teachers and about how punishments would affect extracurricular participation. One trustee suggested starting with a limited pilot: assign a small number of pouches to classrooms and rely on office retrieval for repeated offenders.

Next steps: the board asked the committee and administration to revise the draft based on feedback, pursue a short pilot and bring an updated policy for consideration after the April board meeting.