Trustees begin semester‑long review of secondary cell‑phone policy

Board members and administrators discussed launching a semester‑long stakeholder process to consider stricter secondary‑school cell‑phone rules. Administration said elementary schools already prohibit phones and that secondary options under consideration include requiring phones powered down in backpacks, voluntary turn‑ins, or pouch systems used by some districts; a presenter noted state guidance but said it did not include funding or enforcement instructions.

Trustees and parents on the dais raised concerns about student attention, mental health and the difficulty of recruitment and enforcement. One trustee described in‑class and at‑home effects of constant notifications and urged a firm stand to remove phones from students’ hands during school; staff emphasized finding an approach that does not solely burden teachers with enforcement and promised engagement of students, principals and parents as the district develops policy options.