Newport Schools is making updates to its cell phone use policy for students.
The Newport Board of Education voted at a meeting on July 30 to change its code of conduct to reflect that students cannot be on their cell phones during the “instructional day” versus the previous language of “instructional time.”
After a conversation on the policy on Wednesday, the board decided against including the fact that student phones would be confiscated and kept locked in a secure area for the school day.
Instead, they settled on requiring students to have the devices on airplane mode and are not allowed to use them during the instructional day, but can keep them on their person.
“I agree that students should not be having their cell phones out during school, that is not appropriate, but at the same time, I want to be able to get a hold of my kids,” said Newport Board of Education member and Newport School’s parent Bobbie Stubbeman. “So, if they’re out of school, if they’re walking home, whatever they’re doing, I want to be able to get a hold of them if need be.”
Before the change, students could be on their phones without consequence during non-instructional time, like the four minutes students get between classes or in the bathroom.
“I mean to me even those four minutes are quite a distraction,” said Newport Board of Education member Ed Davis. “Those four minutes carry over into the classroom.”
During the last school season, the district conducted a pilot program with seventh and eighth-grade students. Those students were required to put their devices in a locked box at the beginning of the day, which was then taken to the assistant principal’s office for the day. The board ultimately decided against expanding this for ninth through 12th graders and decided not to continue the pilot for seventh and eighth graders.
Newport Independent School District Director of Pupil Personnel Jennifer Stewart said the data they collected on the pilot supported that it was effective in reducing behavior referrals; however, board members were cautious of completely taking away student access to their devices.
“We can do an immediate update to show whether it’s instructional time or instructional day,” Stewart said. “I am concerned about lunch, and I am concerned about the hallways, because those unstructured times, they’re always monitored, but those unstructured times are usually when you see an increase in physical activity or an increase in having cell phones out and video.”
Stewart noted that there would have been a financial aspect to taking the seventh through 12th graders’ phones for the school day to purchase secure boxes or carts for holding the phones.
There is a system of warnings and consequences in place should a student not follow the rules.
The first offense for being caught using a cellphone is a warning to put it away. Offenses two and three involve the phone being placed in the locked drawer of the administrator’s, counselor’s, or front office, where the student can pick it up. Offense four and beyond requires a parent to come get the device. Should it become a problem repeatedly, the phone can be confiscated at the start of the day and locked away.
The policy also states that after so many violations, it’s a loss of privilege to bring devices onto school grounds.
“I think the key here is consistency throughout the school, the rules, the consequences, because if my behavior doesn’t cost me anything, I’m more than likely not going to change my behavior,” said Newport Board of Education Chair Ramona Malone.
