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Story Archives: School board adopts strict cell phone policy


School board adopts strict cell phone policy
posted Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 @ 11:21 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
Students who attend parish schools will face stricter consequences when they violate the Ouachita Parish School Board's cell phone policy.

Action taken by the school board Tuesday during its regular meeting now allows school administrators to confiscate students' cell phones or any electronic telecommunication device and hold them for a certain period of time, depending on the violation.

First time offenders can have their cell phone held by school administrators for 30 calendar days from the date of the offense.

Students caught violating the policy a second time will not be allowed to possess a cell phone on school property for the entire school year. They will also have their phone held for 30 calendar days.

A third offense will result in the student's phone being held for the entire school year. The student also will be suspended for one day and both the student and a parent will be required to meet with a child welfare and attendance officer before he or she can return to school.

For the fourth offense, the student could be recommended for expulsion and transferred to the parish school system's alternative school for the remainder of the school year.

The school administration will assume the responsibility of the safekeeping and the return of cell phones and all items confiscated by school personnel.

Gary Armstrong, child welfare and attendance supervisor for parish schools, said student use of cell phones on school campus has become "a major problem and a major headache in our schools, especially our high schools."

"I can assure you that this is not just a problem in our school system," Armstrong told the school board. "It's not just something we're battling with because it's going on all over the country."

Armstrong said students have been caught sending pornography to each other via their cell phones. Some also have sent inappropriate text messages to other students, and used the devices to cheat on tests.

"We had two instances this year where falsified rumors were started because of student cell phone use, and it got totally blown out of proportion," he said. "Students panicked, parents panicked and kids were checked out of school by the hundreds, and it was all totally uncalled for."

The new policy was designed by school principles, and the school board unanimously approved it Tuesday.

"Bottom line is it's a more strict policy and the consequences of violating the policy are more strict," Armstrong continued. "The intent of the administrators dealing with this on a daily basis is to make students aware that the violation of this cell phone policy is going to be more costly and punitive to them. They're looking for the result of having fewer problems as far as student use of cell phones in schools."

State law says students cannot use any kind of telecommunication device in any public school building or school bus. The law does not prohibit students from having the devices in their possession, but they are not supposed to use them, Armstrong said.

Superintendent Dr. Bob Webber said as long as students have their cell phones turned off and kept out of sight, school administrators will not have a problem with them having the devices at school.

Teachers also are required to keep their cell phones turned off and they cannot use them in the presence of students either.
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