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Barker Central School District board adopts stricter cellphone policy, requires lockers during school day
Summary
On July 22, 2025, the Barker Central School District Board of Education approved Policy 7316 to ban student use of personal cellphones during the school day and require lockers as the approved storage location; the vote was 6–0.
The Barker Central School District Board of Education voted July 22 to adopt Policy 7316, which prohibits student use of personal cellphones during the school day and designates student lockers as the acceptable location for storing phones.
Dr. Reimer told the board that newly released guidance indicates backpacks will not be an acceptable storage location and that adopting locker language now will prevent an immediate policy update later. Student representative K. Stoll asked whether students could access phones in the locker and whether they could use phone cameras for yearbook tasks; Dr. Reimer said phones would be "off limit from start bell to end of day bell" and that the Yearbook Club has cameras students can use instead. Board member V. Voss asked how cancellations for activities would be communicated if staff could not text students; Dr. Reimer said email to school-issued laptops/chromebooks and the district announcement system would be used.
The motion to approve Policy 7316 was made by Mrs. Carnes, seconded by Mrs. Gow, and approved unanimously (Yes: 6, No: 0). Dr. Reimer said a second review of the policy was unnecessary at this time because the second reading provided the opportunity to incorporate this language.
