Cell phones banned

Students at Seymour High School will not be allowed to text or make calls on their cell phones during school hours beginning this fall.

The same goes for students at Seymour Middle School.

In a special meeting last week, school trustees unanimously voted to ban use of cell phones by students at both schools and discussed implementing the policy corporationwide.

Up until now, students could use their cell phones in between classes and at lunch, but the privilege had led to too many problems, SHS Principal Greg Prange said, including texting during class, cheating, cell phone theft and "sexting," where students take and send pictures of a sexual nature.

"We are spending too much time dealing with something that doesn't add to the educational atmosphere," Prange said.

Last month, SHS Assistant Principal Doug McClure presented the policy change to trustees as part of the board's adoption of the school's handbook. McClure, who recently was named principal of SMS, also requested the policy be approved for the middle school.

Prange said the new policy is "a combination of what a lot of other schools are doing."

"We are eliminating the first offense, which was really a gimme," he said.

The first time students are caught using their cell phones during school they will be required to attend Wednesday school, an extended detention, instead of just having their phone confiscated.

Second offense will result in the student receiving in-school suspension and third offense will warrant out of school suspension, according to the policy.

During last week's meeting, Trustee Dave McIntire asked if teachers and faculty members would also have to follow the new policy.

"Are we banning just students from using them or all cell phones?" McIntire asked. "Are teachers going to be able to have cell phones in their rooms? I have had several people ask me."

Prange said because the policy is part of the student handbook, it would affect only students.

McIntire also suggested the board approve the same policy for elementary schools.

"I know there's been an issue at the elementary level, too," he said. "Parents are picking up sick kids when teachers don't know about it because the kid has called their parents on a cell phone. I think if we are going to do this, it needs to be systemwide no cell phones in the school."

Board President Martha McIntire said she had not received any calls or comments from parents who did not support the new policy.

"Some of the people who told me they wanted them banned are parents who have complained over the years because their child has been the subject of an attack that resulted from either a picture or text message from a cell phone," she said.

Superintendent Teran Armstrong said recently a student had recorded a fight in a classroom using a cell phone and posted the video on YouTube.