Education
An option for district cellphone policy: Lock ’em up
The Georgetown County School District is at risk of losing its state funding if it doesn’t come up with a policy that keeps students from using cellphones in schools.
A proviso in the state budget, which has not been passed and signed by the governor, bans students from having the devices during the school day.
“They’re putting us over a barrel,” School Board Chairman Bill Gaskins said. “We have to implement this.”
Board Member Patti Hammel questioned the definition of “school day” in the proviso.
“Does that mean they’re to be left off campus?” she asked. “Are we going to get some guidance into what the legislators were really saying about those kind of things?”
Hammel wondered how students involved in after-school extracurricular activities would be notified about schedule changes. And how those students would notify their parents.
Superintendent Keith Price said the school day is defined as being between the tardy bell and the dismissal bell.
The district recently formed a “cellphone policy review committee” to get feedback about possible policy changes.
One of the things the committee is looking at is whether the policy should extend beyond cellphones to smart watches, ear buds and iPads.
“Being able to provide exact examples of what is allowed and what’s not allowed is what our goal is at this point,” Assistant Superintendent Bethany Giles said.
The committee is also looking at options to store cellphones during during instructional time, such as Yondr pouches, which have a lock on them. Students would then have to use an unlocking device to retrieve their phone. Another option would be something hanging on the wall of a classroom to store all students’ phones.
The school board will also have to decide on what types of discipline will apply to students caught with cell phones. In the district’s code of conduct, there are three levels of offenses and the punishments increase with each level.
The district recently learned that legally it can not confiscate cellphones for extended periods of time.
