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The Warren County School District is moving forward with a closer review of a proposed student cell phone policy, but board members said Monday night they want more details about how the policy would be enforced before considering a formal vote.
The policy was presented during the Committee of the Whole meeting on July 27 as a starting point for further discussion, with a goal of developing a policy that reduces distractions and improves face-to-face interaction while giving schools clear and consistent procedures for enforcing the rules.
Superintendent Gary Weber told the board he is not looking to rush the policy through the approval process to be implemented at the beginning of the school year, now just two weeks away. He stated the draft was introduced for committee review so members could make changes and ensure the final policy is practical for students, teachers and administrators before being introduced, and the policy can be adapted into classrooms at any point in the year.
However, other board members questioned whether the best decision would be to implement the policy at the beginning of the school year.
Board member John Wortman said the beginning of the school year is an important time for establishing expectations and asked whether implementing a policy in the middle of a school year could make enforcement more difficult.
Weber said he does not believe implementation necessarily has to coincide with the start of a school year or semester, provided the district gives parents and students sufficient notice and clearly communicates the expectations.
Wortman said he supports limiting cell phone use in classrooms but questioned whether students would be required to leave their phones at home, keep them in lockers or otherwise secure them for the entire school day.
He noted students sometimes need access to their phones for legitimate reasons, including coordinating work schedules, transportation or extracurricular activities.
Weber said the policy would need to be accompanied by procedures explaining how students and parents could communicate during the school day if students did not have access to their phones.
The administration also emphasized that the purpose of the policy would not be to punish students simply for possessing a device.
Instead, the primary concern is the distraction created by phones and the effect that constant device access can have on students’ interactions with classmates and adults.
"It’s really about the distraction," Weber said, explaining that removing phones from students’ immediate access is intended to encourage more face-to-face interaction during the school day.
Board member Bridget Schwab asked who would be responsible for enforcing the policy, questioning whether the initial responsibility would fall on classroom teachers before moving to the administration or office staff.
The board also discussed whether the district could provide teachers with clearer guidance before a comprehensive policy is adopted. Schwab said teachers may need additional support in establishing classroom expectations at the beginning of the school year.
Weber agreed that guidance could be provided but cautioned that consistency would be critical.
If some teachers enforce a cell phone rule while others do not, administrators said, it can undermine teachers who are attempting to enforce the expectations in their classrooms.
Schwab also raised concerns about students who use personal cell phones for virtual classes, noting that some students take virtual courses during study halls and may use their phones and headphones to access instructional videos because district-issued technology may not always meet their needs.
Administrators said that similar issues would be addressed in the procedures accompanying the policy.
No final decision was made Monday night. The administration is expected to bring additional information to the committee, including proposed enforcement procedures and methods for student-parent communication, before the policy moves forward for formal consideration.
A major consideration in the decision is ongoing legislation in the Pennsylvania House and Senate that would establish statewide requirements for student mobile device use in schools.
House Bill 1814 would require school entities to prohibit student use of mobile devices during the school day and establish how possession of those devices would be restricted. The legislation would require districts to have policies in place by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year.
The proposed legislation also includes exceptions for certain medical needs, individualized education programs and 504 plans, English-language learners who need devices for translation and limited educational uses when a school-issued device is unavailable or insufficient.