Granton School Board discusses cell phone policy

By Cheyenne Thomas With the 2024-25 school year fast approaching, the Granton School Board looked at some of the school district’s policies at its meeting on July 8, approving some changes while having a general discussion about others. Cell phones were the main topic of discussion at the meeting as the board talked about what changes, if any, were needed before the school year starts.

District Administrator Nancy Popp brought up the policy on cell phones to the board, asking them what their thoughts were on the current policy and if there should be any changes to the policy before the upcoming school year. Currently, cell phones are allowed in the school, but any phone brought in by a student has to be set out on a student’s desk where a teacher can see it. If a student is caught using their phone without permission from the teacher, the phone is taken away and sent to the office where a student can pick it up at the end of the school day. If a student repeatedly violates the rules, the phone is taken away and a parent has to come to the school office to pick up the phone.

The members of the board seemed to have varying opinions on what kind of policy they wanted to pursue, namely, if they wanted cell phones banned entirely or wanted to try a different approach. Board member Mark Elmhorst said since the school already provides every student with internet access through tablets and computers, cell phones are not really needed.

“I think that it’s a good idea to have cell phones banned in school,” he said. “We already provide them with a tablet and access through the school. If they need to contact somebody outside of the school, they can go through the office.”

Other members of the board were more reluctant to implement a blanket ban on cell phones, stating that cell phones are used every day by people at their jobs and in their social lives, and kids need to learn how to use them

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responsibly.

“It’s a tool,” said board member Doug Eichten. “It’s used as a tool in society. Is there a way to teach these kids to use them responsibly instead of just taking them away?”

Part of the reason why cell phones are an ongoing cause of concern, said K-12 principal Amanda Kraus, is cyberbullying. There have been more and more cases of cyberbullying in school districts like Granton and cell phones are a big contributor to that problem.

“That’s something that occurs out of the school building and is brought into the district,” she said.

Continuing the cell phone discussion, Kraus said there are other details that would have to be talked about if the board decided to put tighter restrictions on cell phones.

“If staff take the cell phones (for the class period), where does the responsibility fall if something happens to it or if another classmate takes it?” she asked. “The teachers will also have to keep an eye on an extra thing to make sure each cell phone was given back to the correct student. It sets things up where staff are also acting as security.”

While the board discussed cell phones, the members asked how the policy was being implemented in the school and if there was any way to restrict access to certain websites, such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, while students were in the building. Kraus said if students use the school’s wi-fi to use the internet, they are limited by the school’s restrictions that are in place to block students from using such websites while on school computers, but if students are using their own data and plans, there is no way for the school to stop students from accessing those sites.

“With teachers, the rules are different in each classroom,” she said. “Some teachers are strict with cell phones, while others are not. And sometimes students can use that to play the teachers off of each other. Everyone has to be on board with the policy in order for it to be effective.”

While no decision on the cell phone policy was made, Popp said she would like for the topic to continue to be talked about, and when the school year starts, she said it would be a good idea to talk with the students themselves about the concerns the school has about student cell phone use and find a solution that addresses those concerns.

In other action taken by the board at its regular meeting, the board approved waiving all student and athletic fees for the 2024-25 school year. The fees had been suspended in the 2020-21 school year and the board declined to bring them back to avoid putting financial pressure on families. The board also approved some changes to the student handbooks to add some additional clarification on student expectations in the school building, on the playground and on the school bus, along with rules on public displays of affection. The board also tabled discussion on the school budget and was to set up a special meeting date later in the month to discuss the budget.