CELL PHONE & ELECTRONIC TELECOMMUNICATION

CELL PHONE & ELECTRONIC TELECOMMUNICATION

The School Board recognizes that the use of cellular telephones with their rapidly developing technological advances, which now include text messaging, photography, and other features, can impair the validity of classroom assessments, violate student privacy, possibly detonate explosive devices, hamper the efforts of administrators charged with maintaining a safe and productive school environment, and severely disrupt the educational process.

 

No student, unless authorized by the school principal or his/her designee, shall use or operate any cellular telephone or other electronic telecommunication device, including but not limited to any facsimile system, radio paging service, mobile telephone service, intercom, electromechanical paging system, cameras, video tape recorders, MP3 player, all Bluetooth-enabled devices, watches, Apple watches, Fitbits, headphones, electronic pagers, writing tablets, any other smart device or similar electronic telecommunication device, etc., in any public elementary or secondary school building or on the grounds thereof, or on a school bus, during the regular academic day. 

 

Any cellular telephones and/or other electronic telecommunication devices in use or operation during the regular academic day shall be confiscated by a faculty or staff member at the time of the infraction. A student's refusal to relinquish this device shall result in the student being recommended for expulsion. The confiscated device shall be held in the school's office, and the student's parents or guardian shall be contacted. Parents will be contacted to sign a release of the device within 24 hours.

 

A properly authorized medical device worn by a student shall not be considered a violation of this policy. 

 

Nothing in this policy shall prohibit the use or operation by any person, including students, of any cellular telephone or other electronic telecommunication device in the event of an emergency. 

 

As used in this policy the terms below shall be defined as follows:

• An emergency means an actual or imminent threat to public health or safety that may result in loss of life, injury, or property damage.
• Use or operation of a cellular telephone or other electronic telecommunication device means the device is being held by a student, or is turned on, makes an audible sound, or is in a mode capable of receiving or transmitting signals.
• The regular academic day shall begin at the time students arrive on campus prior to the tardy bell and conclude upon the dismissal bell at the end of the day.
• After the final dismissal bell, students are allowed to use their cell phones on campus adhering to policy usage guidelines as they are exiting the campus or enroute to after-school detention, tutoring, club meetings or any other type of extra-curricular practice session.

 

Students in Grades PreK - 5 

Electronic Telecommunication Devices are not allowed on campus during regular school hours for any reason for students in PreK - 5th grades. The regular academic day or school hours are defined as the time a student arrives on campus until the final dismissal bell.

 

Consequences for Violation: All violations--The electronic telecommunication device/cell phone will be confiscated by school officials, and parents will be contacted to sign for a release of the device within 24 hours.

 

Students in Grades 6 - 12

• Use or operation of electronic telecommunication devices is not permitted on any school bus used to transport public school students.
• Use or operation of electronic telecommunication devices is not permitted from the time students arrive on campus until the final dismissal bell rings.  
• Electronic telecommunication device usage for any purpose is not permitted during school hours. The regular academic day school hours are defined as the time a student arrives on campus until the final dismissal bell. Use or operation includes but is not limited to the following:
• Any visual and/or audible signal during school hours, and/or the phone is turned on.
• Talking, sending, or receiving text messages, listening to music, taking, or receiving pictures/video on the phone.
• Students choosing to bring an electronic telecommunication device to campus must secure it in the off position completely powered down in a car or school locker during school hours.
• Violators of the usage guidelines will be assigned appropriate consequences. 

 

After-School Cell Phone-Electronic Telecommunication Devise Usage

• After the final dismissal bell, students are allowed to use their cell phones on campus adhering to usage guidelines as they are exiting the campus or enroute to after-school detention, tutoring, club meetings or any other type of extra-curricular practice session.
• Students that participate in extra-curricular organizations or are assigned to after-school detention or any type of tutoring or after-school class, etc., will power their cell phones/electronic telecommunication devices off before entering the class, meeting, or practice session, etc.
• Students will leave them off inside their pockets, bookbags, or binders, etc. until the class or session is dismissed.
• Extra-curricular organization sponsors will specify the guidelines that allows or doesn't allow members to use their electronic telecommunication devices/cell phones after they arrive at their after-school meetings, practice sessions or at games or events, etc.
• Violators will be assigned the appropriate consequences.

Consequences for Cell Phone Violations: 

• First violation: The electronic telecommunication device/cell phone will be confiscated by school officials. Parents will be contacted to sign a release of the device within 24 hours. The student will be assigned a two (2)-hour detention.
• Second violation: The electronic telecommunication device will be confiscated by school officials. Parents will be contacted to sign a release of the device within 24 hours. The student will be assigned a four (4) hour detention.
• Third violation: The electronic device/cell phone will be confiscated by school officials. Parents will be contacted to sign a release of the device within 24 hours. The student will receive one (1) day of in-school suspension.
• Fourth violation:  The electronic device/cell phone will be confiscated by school officials. Parents will be contacted to sign a release of the device within 24 hours. The student will receive two (2) days of in-school suspension.
• Fifth violation: The electronic device/cell phone will be confiscated by school officials. Parents will be contacted to sign a release of the device within 24 hours. The student will receive three (3) days of in-school suspension pending a disciplinary hearing with Child Welfare and Attendance Officers.
• Failure to release the electronic telecommunication device/cell phone to school officials for violating the policy will result in a suspension pending a hearing with the Child Welfare and Attendance Officers.

NOTE: All confiscated electronic telecommunication devices will be held securely in the school's office.

Unauthorized Videos or Pictures

Students that take unauthorized pictures or make videos of students or school board employees on campus, on school buses, while under school supervision or at school related events that violate school board policy will be assigned to ISS or suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. This includes unauthorized pictures or videos that are shared electronically or posted on social media.

 

Emergency Crisis Electronic Telecommunication Device/Cell Phone Policy

Nothing in this policy shall prohibit the use and operation by any person, including students, of any electronic telecommunication device in the event of an emergency. Emergency shall mean an actual or imminent threat to public health or safety that may result in loss of life, injury, or property damage.