The Lawrence school board on Monday will consider approving the final draft of a new policy that would implement a generally cell phone-free instructional day effective in January.
Instructional time is defined in the final draft as time “a student spends receiving instruction in a school setting.” All cell phones and other personal electronic devices “must be turned off and stored out of sight” during school hours, according to the draft. The policy would apply to all students across the district, with some exceptions.
The draft says high school principals and assistant principals would use their discretion to limit or ban cell phone use during passing periods and non-instructional lunchtime.
At all grade levels, cell phones and other personal electronic devices would be prohibited in locker rooms and restrooms “to ensure privacy and safety,” according to the draft.
During field trips, extracurriculars or other school-related activities outside of class, supervising staff members would set the guidelines for cell phone usage, according to the draft.
Exceptions listed in the draft include for students with documented medical needs and students with individualized education plan (IEP) accommodations. The draft also mentions emergencies: “In the event of an emergency, students are encouraged to follow instructions from school staff. Cell phones may be used to communicate with emergency services or family members as directed,” the draft states.
Board members during their Nov. 25 meeting gave initial approval to a first draft, despite district administrators proposing implementation guidance that directly conflicted with the draft as originally written. That guidance permitted middle schoolers access to their phones during lunchtime, based on three out of the four middle school principals’ requests, and high schoolers during lunchtime and passing periods.
Board members said during the meeting that more clarity was needed.
Changes made from the first draft to the final draft are outlined in another document on the agenda item:
20241209-Board-Policy-JCAA-Second-Reading-Tracked-ChangesThe final policy draft says the superintendent will create administrative guidance that “may specify additional exceptions to this policy for instructional purposes only.”
Although other personal electronic devices, such as smartwatches and iPads, would be prohibited under the policy, Interim Superintendent Jeanice Swift previously said the district will begin with just focusing on cell phones. It’s unclear whether or not that would still be the case.
There was no administrative guidance document included for Monday, but the agenda says the policy and guidance will be “reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect changes in technology and educational practices.”
Swift previously said implementation will be an adaptive process primarily aimed at helping students change their behaviors, rather than punishing them. Consequences are not outlined in the draft, but it says the policy is in line with the district’s acceptable use policy and codes of conduct.
In other business:
• Contract for middle school virtual teacher: The board on Monday will also consider approving a short-term contract for a company to hire a virtual world language teacher at West Middle School.
If approved, Proximity Learning would recruit and hire a qualified teacher to give live, virtual instruction in world language and Spanish courses at West during the spring 2025 semester, according to the agenda item.
“According to ‘Educate Kansas,’ K-12 teachers are in very high demand right now across the state, especially in certain subject and geographical areas,” according to the agenda item. “In Lawrence, we have experienced a challenge in recruiting and hiring highly qualified, content-certified teachers for some content areas, specifically Spanish at the middle school level.”
The district would also staff a long-term substitute who would meet weekly with the virtual teacher. The agenda item says the partnership with Proximity Learning can be dissolved should the district hire a qualified candidate.
The contract amount would not exceed $35,000, accounting for an initial classroom technology setup fee, instructional training and collaborative plan time, according to the agenda.
View a presentation about the tentative contract that’s attached to the agenda item on BoardDocs.
• Athletics study: The board will hear a report from ACI Boland showing findings from a study, including staff survey results, on the district’s athletics facilities. The board is not set to take any action as a result of the report.
View the report as well as a presentation for the board attached to the agenda item on BoardDocs.
• Executive session: Monday’s meeting will conclude with a 45-minute executive session, or closed-door meeting. Board members and Swift are set to discuss personnel matters of nonelected personnel, with no action to be taken as a result.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9 at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.
Meetings are open to the public, livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@USD497, and broadcast on Midco channel 26. Full meeting agendas are available on BoardDocs, via go.boarddocs.com.
To give public comment during the board meeting, sign up before the meeting starts either in person or by emailing PublicComment@usd497.org. Commenters may request to participate by Webex video/phone conferencing.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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