Cell Phone Policy Is Reviewed By Trustees

During its meeting Monday night, the Halifax County School Board got its first look at proposed revisions to the school system’s Code of Student Conduct, including changes in the cell phone policy.
Leon Johnson, director of pupil personnel services, presented the proposed changes to the board.
One change states that in extreme emergencies, cell phones may be used by students at the principal’s discretion.
Other changes reflect revisions in policy regarding violation of the cell phone policy in school. For the first offense, the phone will be held by the principal for two days and will be returned to the parent/legal guardian at the end of the second school day. The parent/legal guardian must report in person to the school at the end of the second school day to receive the cell phone.
For a second violation of the policy, the phone will be held by the principal for five school days and will be returned to the parent/legal guardian at the end of the fifth school day. Again, the parent/legal guardian must report in person to the school at the end of the fifth day to receive the phone.
And for the third violation of the policy, the phone will be held by the principal for 10 school days. It will be returned to the parent/legal guardian at the end of the 10th school day, and the parent/legal guardian must report in person to the school at the end of the 10th
school day to receive the phone.
Like the current school year, a second violation will result in three-day suspension from school for the offender, and the third violation will result in a 10-day suspension.
Board member Walter Potts said he had heard of students being caught with cell phones on their person but not taken. Potts said he heard of the policy not being enforced across the board. He said the current policy may not be working. Superintendent Paul Stapleton said a student could not have the phone on their person, including in a pocket, on the belt or in their hand.
Middle school Principal Gail Bosiger said students are not searched for cell phones on a normal day. She said if the student takes out the phone or has it in plain sight, teachers or administrators take them.
High school Principal Albert Randolph said on any given day, there are about 1,500 cell phones in the building. Like at the middle school, Randolph said they don’t search students for cell phones at the high school. He said when they see a cell phone, it is taken from the student. He added at the end of the school day when students are coming down the stairwell, many students have cell phones out calling parents or someone else.
When asked, Stapleton said the first phoned in bomb threat at the high school was made by a student from a cell phone within the high school building. Board member Devin Snead said when he visited several high school classrooms with the principal, several students inquired about using the cell phone in the event of a bomb threat. Snead said he told the students if there was a bomb in the building, an electronic signal from a cell phone could possibly activate that explosive device. He said students were not educated in understanding the potential harm of using their cell phones in a case such as that.
Randolph said there are extenuating circumstances, where he would allow a student to use a cell phone to get in touch with a parent.
He told the board with the size of the county and the long distances students have to travel, parents feel safer with their children having cell phones.
The board will vote on revisions to the cell phone policy, in addition to other revisions to the Code of Student Conduct at its June meeting.