COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Board of Education Tuesday voted to approve a model policy banning cell phones in schools for all districts in South Carolina to adopt.
Districts will have until January to adopt and implement the policy in order to keep their state funding. The model bans cell phones for the entire school day, as required by a proviso in this year's state budget.
The Department of Education was responsible for writing and presenting the policy to the Board. It was a top priority to create a policy that didn't make teachers cell phone police, says State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver.
"I think what this really does it put the onus on administrators to have their teachers backs," said Weaver. "I think this is the most practical common sense first step we can take to restore order and discipline in our classrooms and support the mental health of our students and I think that’s ultimately how we retain great teachers."
The model policy passed today with two amendments that required the SCDE survey district administrators about the implementation of the policy, with the aim of doing it before the cell phone ban can be renewed in the upcoming state budget or passed into law.
Governor McMaster began asking for a cell phone policy in his executive budget four years ago, according to a spokesperson for the Governor. In a letter to the Board of Education, the Governor said removing access to phones "improves student academic performance and removes distractions that exacerbate anxiety among our adolescents."
The version of the policy sticks closely with the requirements from the budget proviso, and leaves questions about enforcement of the policy and whether or not to expand it to things like school busses and athletic events up to the districts. The most important part of the policy is how it will be enforced, says South Carolina Education Association's Sherry East.
"What is the enforcement piece? Is that gonna be a suspension? Is that gonna be in school or out of school? Is that gonna be an expulsion?" said East.
The policy also allows for exceptions for students with medical reasons, IEP's or 504 Plans. Districts will have the fall to adopt and implement the policy, which has to be done by January to keep their state funding.