Students who bring cell phones to school could face harsher punishments if the Muscogee County School District implements policy changes considered at a school board retreat Saturday.
The district’s policy prohibits the use of personal electronic communication devices, including cell phones, pagers and two-way radios, during school, but it does not outline the consequences if a student is caught using any of those devices. Cleo Griswould, the principal at Kendrick High School and a member of the district’s cell phone procedures committee, said because most cell phones have texting and picture and video messaging capabilities, the devices have become more of a distraction.
During the meeting at the Columbus Public Library, Griswould said students can cheat by texting answers during tests or using the phone’s calculator functions in math. Cyber-bullies can use the phones to send threatening messages or take embarrassing or suggestive photos. The phones could be used for bomb threats and could jam phone lines. Texting especially can be a problem, she said.
“Our students can text without looking,” she said. “You heard a lady won $50,000 in a texting competition. ‘It’s all in the thumbs.’”
The committee outlined the proposed punishments for students caught using cell phones. After the first offense, the cell phone will be turned into the principal and the student’s parent can pick up the phone at the end of the school day.
After the second offense, the student could be assigned administrative detention and the parent could pick up the phone after three school days.
After the third offense, the student would be assigned in-school suspension and the parent could pick up the phone after five school days.
After the fourth offense, the student would be suspended for two days and the parent could pick up the phone at the end of the school day.
If the parent were adamant that the phone could not be held by the principal, then the student could take two days suspension as punishment.
Board member John Wells said he worries about students being suspended from school and receiving zeroes for course work. He asked why the principal couldn’t keep the student’s cell phone after the fourth offense.
“We prohibit knives, tobacco,” he said. “I think cell phones ought to fall into that no-tolerance category.”
Eddie Obleton, the district’s head of student services, said principals have confiscated phones, but they cannot keep the phone.
“If principals keep the phone, they can be arrested; it’s private property,” he said.
Board members Naomi Buckner and Cathy Williams said the committee should consider putting more focus on taking the phone away from students and increasing the amount of time the principal keeps the phone after the first offense so that students learn the first time.
“As the parent of a teenager, the thing I do most for discipline is take that cell phone,” Buckner said. “In my house, the worse thing I can do is take that cell phone.”
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