District responds to new state law
The Beacon school board is expected to vote on Monday (July 21) on a new cell phone policy, one consistent with the state’s newly enacted bell-to-bell restriction on internet-enabled devices.
The proposed policy will require students’ devices to be powered off and, at Rombout Middle School and Beacon High School, stored in a location or security device as directed by an administrator when the first bell rings. At the elementary level, student devices must be stored in an area designated by the principal.
Exceptions will be allowed in the event of an emergency or when necessary to manage a student’s healthcare, for translation services, or for students who are routinely responsible for the care of a family member.
The district’s current policy, adopted a year ago, banned phones from classrooms but allowed students to use their cellphones between class and during lunch and recess.
