White County School Officials will not make major changes to the system’s cell phone policy entering the new school year.
Board members reviewed the policy as part of its annual review of legislative changes. White County Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said phones have not been a major problem. He said he believes last year’s cell phone policy meets the state law.
“What is going to be imperative, but I’ve so tell the principal is that we explicitly explain to our students and families that this is a state law,” Dronebarger said. “This is not just a strong suggestion from White County Schools. And so there’s not any wiggle room.”
Dronebarger said elementary students will be allowed to have cell phones in their backpacks for emergency purposes, and grades sixth through eighth are allowed to have cell phones on but not during instructional time. Dronebarger said the high school can use cell phones on a permissible basis.
“The high school’s procedure, many of their students use them during class, so I can see many math teachers using them as calculators, and many other folks for research purposes,” Dronebarger said. “I know Warrior Media uses them extensively to film and video, but that’s permissible. But what we have instructed our teachers to do is have a protocol for usage in their classroom that is approved by their principal, and then if they are in violation of that, then they are subject to punishment that has been set forth.”
Dronebarger said cell phones can be a distraction. Dronebarger said the state law is something the school system will have to adjust to.
“That’s gonna be a challenge because I feel like our district, and especially the high school, feels like they have a handle on it, but it’s not to the extent that this law will require,” Dronebarger said. “So that’s gonna be a learning curve and hopefully one that we will learn quickly.”
Dronebarger said the first offense of the policy, students will have to pick up their phones from the office. Second offense, the parent will have to come and pick the phone up. Third offense and beyond can lead to in-school suspension or alternative school.
The board asked Dronebarger if students can have their phones on school campus during break time. Dronebarger said that would be allowed.
“Specifically, this legislation says during instruction time,” Dronebarger said. “So they are allowed to have them out during breaks, when they are traveling from class to class, but when class is in session, they should be off unless they were given a specific task by the instructor.”
