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Board hears recommendations for staff cell-phone expectations to prioritize supervision
Summary
A principal's internal and external review found staff use phones for safety, instruction and administrative tasks; the district will adopt shared expectations (not a strict ban) requiring phones be put away during direct student supervision, with building-level flexibility for roles and emergencies.
Denise, principal at Skootenay Springs, presented findings from an internal review and external district scan and recommended establishing districtwide staff device expectations rather than a rigid ban.
She told the board she conducted three focus groups (classified staff, certified staff, and principals/administrators) and confirmed the district lacks a formal staff-device policy. "We have no formal district policy or even clear expectations around staff cell phone use," Denise said, adding that uses include Skyward authentication, ParentSquare communication, timers for instruction, emergency communication and quick instructional lookups.
Denise said staff valued professionalism and flexibility but raised concerns about inconsistent enforcement and overuse during supervision. Her recommended expectations would prioritize student supervision and instruction, require phones to be put away during direct student contact unless work-related, and discourage earbuds or AirPods when supervising students.
Board members asked whether staff would push back and raised concerns about convenience and public-records exposure when personal devices are used for work. One board member suggested considering stipends or issued devices for roles that require frequent phone use; another emphasized consistent principal-level enforcement.
The board expressed broad support for the expectations approach and thanked Denise and HR for developing the guidance; no formal policy or vote was taken on the item during the meeting.
