In a unanimous decision, the Wake County Public School System Board of Education has introduced a district-wide cell phone policy that will change how students engage with their devices during school hours. According to CBS 17, starting in July, phones are to be silenced and stored away throughout the academic day. The board previously discussed the measure on May 20 and, after a tentative nod in its first reading, solidified their stance this past Tuesday.
Notably, the policy allows for nuances affecting students of various grade levels differently, with high schools having the option of allowing cellphones during times such as class changes or lunch, as ABC 11 reports. However elementary and middle school students are expected to keep their phones completely out of sight, except for certain exceptions like health needs or explicit authorization by teachers.
Lynn Edmonds, the policy committee chairperson, emphasized the need for a transition period: "This is a big change, and we want to give students and staff grace as we all get used to this new policy," Edmonds told CBS 17. There is an understanding that the initial enforcement will be gentle but firm, with a verbal warning serving as the first step before confiscation of devices.
A survey conducted prior to finalizing the rule found considerable support among educators for the new restrictions – nearly 90% of over 2,000 responding teachers backed the silencing of phones during classes, with about 61% in support of confiscation for rule violations, according to ABC 11. Despite the agreement among school staff, the policy might be subject to change, as both the North Carolina Senate and House are considering legislation that could impose state-wide requirements on cell phone use in schools.
