The Lynchburg City School Board could implement an updated cellphone policy for the division at its next regular meeting Tuesday.
Atul Gupta, who was reelected this week as board chair, told the board next year "will not be an easy year."
"We'll have to make a lot of hard decisions as we move forward. Decisions may not be liked by everybody, but we gotta' do what is good for the kids," he said during the reorganization meeting where the board also reelected Martin Day as vice chair.
One of the first key decisions for the board is an updated cellphone policy for the division.
The policy, "JFCZ-2b," prohibits any inappropriate use of personal electronic communication devices, including and not limited to inappropriate photographs, text messaging, and recording or videotaping. Failure to follow the policy will result in confiscation of the device.
The policy defines "personal electronic communication devices" as any equipment that can send, receive or play messages, audio, photos, videos or record audio such as smart watches, earbuds, phones and headphones unless provided by LCS.
During a regular meeting on June 18, Day said a key change in the policy comes at the high school level.
The policy states students enrolled in grades 9-12 may have personal electronic communication devices only during a student's lunch period. At all other times, a student's device must be turned off and out of sight in a book bag or locker.
However, students in elementary and middle schools should have their devices turned off and out of sight throughout the school day.
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Under this policy, a principal may authorize individual exceptions based on documented medical needs of a student or while a student is present in the school office.
A principal or designee can confiscate a student's personal electronic communication device if needed and then determine to either return it at the end of the day or require a student's parent to make an appointment with the principal to retrieve the device.
A student who refuses to surrender their phone when asked "shall be suspended for 3 days."
School boards across Virginia have been debating and approving new cellphone policies. In Amherst County, the school division recently implemented a policy prohibiting students from using them during instructional hours.
During the June 18 Lynchburg City School Board meeting, discussion began around the potential three-day suspension and whether it was too harsh, but school board member Christian DePaul said the discipline is warranted.
"Now I'm not against the progressive [disciplinary action] policy ... but we need something hard, that we can come down from or back away from. We need something strong to begin with," he said.
School board member Gloria Preston said she understood the stance, but she mentioned this will be a change in what people are accustomed to. Preston suggested a gradual discipline process, such as the first offense being a one-day suspension or conference with teachers.
"We gotta' teach the kids, but we've also gotta' teach the parents that this is not going to be tolerated; and so if we had some kind of step-by-step process so that everybody is getting indoctrinated, if you will, at the same time maybe that will solve the problem," she said.
Gupta said the board "is trying to make sure" the primary focus is learning.
Residents can find more information about the policy on Boarddocs; also additional policies the board will consider in the future can be found on Boarddocs under "status of recommended policy changes" from the board's June 27 meeting.
The board next meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the school administration board room on Court Street, followed by a work session at 5 p.m. on July 23.
Rodney Robinson Jr., (434) 385-5554
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