PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Calvert County Public Schools passed a new cell phone use policy at the Aug. 13 Board of Education (BOE) meeting, aligning with state law.
Director of Student Services Sabrina Bergen presented Policy No. 3175: Regarding Cell Phones in Schools to the BOE at the July 9 meeting. The BOE discussed the policy before posting it for public comment ahead of the official vote. The BOE passed the policy as part of the consent agenda, which also included updates to other policies such as the Policy Regarding Communicable Disease and Policy Regarding Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control.
The consent agenda is meant to pass several items at once when board members anticipate unanimous agreement and no discussion. The BOE clarified several parts of the cell phone policy at the July 9 meeting to make sure it aligned with state law and school values. The new policy effectively bans any cell phone use for all grade levels during the school day, with a few exceptions:
- A documented reasonable accommodation in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan related specifically to the student’s disability.
- Use is necessary to address a documented health issue.
- Use of phones needed to access language translation tools to ensure educational equity for multilingual students when school-issued electronic communication devices are not available or are insufficient for this purpose.
- Needed for caregiving responsibilities, as approved by the principal.
Previously, cell phone use was outlined in the student code of conduct and varied by grade level. The new policy is uniform across the district.
Current Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Ruth Ollie Reist said in her end-of-meeting comments that she was planning to host a student-led virtual forum to discuss the new cell phone policy that would be open to students in grades 6-12.
“This would not be an attempt to remove the policy, it would be to communicate how the policy is being implemented in schools and whether or not it’s effective for students, and how it can be implemented as equitably as possible,” Reist said.
BOE President Jana Smith-Post praised the idea and suggested multiple forums to give BOE members the chance to attend and talk to students. Additional details for the forum will be announced at a later date.
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