Districts
curtail cell phone use
Schools act to keep a tight rein
on calls by students and staff.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005 • By LINDA LISANTI • The
Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG -- School officials are
hanging up on cell phone use by staff and students during
the school day.
Board of Education members last week
adopted a policy that forbids district employees from using
their personal cell phones while working except in the case
of emergencies. They also introduced a similar policy for
students.
"Because of their prominence in this day
and age, it's something that needs to be dealt with," board
President Rod Pianelli said. "It's just more or less us
trying to keep up with the times."
Under the new staff policy, employees are
only allowed to use their personal cell phones before and
after school, during planning and lunch periods and in
situations where the safety of students or staff is in
question.
The policy also states the superintendent
will monitor the use of district-issued cell
phones.
The proposed student policy, which will
be voted on July 25, allows students to bring cell phones
with them to school, but they must be turned off and kept
out of sight during the school day, including lunch breaks
and study halls.
The phones may be used before and after
school provided they don't disrupt activities.
Cell phones have not been a problem in
the school district to date, Pianelli said, but he added
that they could cause disruptions. With the growing
popularity of camera phones, he said the potential also
exists for tests to be duplicated.
"Do we have a problem with cell phones?
No. Do we have to pay overage charges because the cell
phones are being used too much? No. Are there people doing
things with cell phones that they shouldn't be? Not that I
know of," he said.
And the board wants to keep it that
way.
Phillipsburg is not the only school
district in the area trying to curtail cell phone
use.
Nazareth Area School District officials
have been talking about adopting a new written policy about
cell phone use in their schools.
For the past decade, the school
district's student handbooks have said students may not
carry "electronic communication devices" on campus. But
during orientations at the start of each school year,
administrators explain that they may carry them but may not
use them, except during an emergency.
Staff members are instructed to
confiscate the phones if they see them.
Bethlehem Area School District also
adopted a new policy last summer that mandates students
store their cell phones in their lockers during the school
day. Students can use the phones "in unique circumstances
with prior approval from an administrator," the policy
says.
Bethlehem Superintendent Joseph Lewis
said the policy has worked out well with few violations
reported by principals.
Most students respect the policy, he
said.
Though Lewis added, "I'm sure there's a
few that sneak a call in here or there."
The district plans to continue with the
policy as is, according to the superintendent.
"It's working," he said.
Reporter Linda Lisanti can be reached at 610-258-7171 or
by e-mail at llisanti@express-times.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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