The Newton County School Board and administrators discussed the possibility of making changes to the district’s student cell phone policy and dress code at their regular meeting on Thursday.
Newton County Middle/ High School Principal Shane Phillips said that cell phones have become a distraction to students, making it harder for teachers to hold their attention during class.
The district’s 2017-18 student handbook states that use of cell phones during regular school hours is not permitted and cell phones can be confiscated if a student is found using mobile devices during class.
Phillips said that students can still use their phones while they are in their front pockets if the screens are exposed.
“All of the teachers are 100 percent saying that there are issues,” Phillips said. “They’re not talking on the phones in the classroom, but they’re distracted, and they’re getting up and going to the restroom probably twice as much because they’re having to answer their phones.”
Phillips and NCSD Superintendent J.O. Amis also said that wearable smart watches, which have most of the capabilities of cell phones, will be another issue the teachers and administrators will have to deal with.
Among the possible solutions the board suggested was requiring cell phones to be completely off during class or putting cell service blockers in the schools and only allowing the students and teachers to communicate by Wi-Fi.
Phillips said that students occasionally not following the district’s dress code regarding coats and jackets sometimes results in unnecessary visits to the principal’s office.
According to the 2017-18 student handbook, students can wear jackets that are the approved colors of royal blue, orange, white, gray, black, brown or navy blue and must not exceed below mid-thigh, but during extreme cold, at administration discretion, other jackets may be allowed.
Due to rapidly changing temperatures in the area, some students sometimes violate the dress codes on days that are not extremely cold.
Amis said the administrators will likely present some recommendations to the April meeting.
In other business, newly hired head football coach Bobby Bass attended the meeting to formally introduce himself to the board and share his vision for the program and talk about the strides the program has already made since he was hired on Feb. 1.
