Board reverses its July order to lock up student phones; phone rules stay under review

What happened

On July 20, 2026 the board told the superintendent to make student phones inaccessible during the school day and to take phones right away when seen. On Aug 11 the board voted to rescind that order after the superintendent said the plan could need about $500,000 a year in staff and members disagreed about what the order meant. The current rules (Policy 5695) stay in place and the board plans to revisit storage and enforcement.

Why it matters to families

Phone rules touch every student's school day. How phones are stored and what happens when one is out may change again.

The evidence

The July 20 and Aug 11 meeting summaries describe the motion, the superintendent's cost estimate and the vote to rescind. The Aug 25 and Sept 8 summaries show 449 students with device-related referrals and a plan to revisit storage options after more data.

The source