SUMTER, S.C. — The Sumter County School District joined the growing list of districts across South Carolina that are preparing to enact policies limiting student access to electronic devices during the school day.
It’s all part of a plan to ensure compliance with the state proviso aimed at preventing cell phones from being a distraction in the classroom.
Dr. William Wright Jr., superintendent of Sumter District Schools, shared his thoughts with fellow board members before they voted on the new electronic communication devices policy.
“It is a paradigm shift, at least on paper from what we have been doing,” Wright Jr. said.
The new policy will prohibit students from accessing their cell phones or other personal electronic devices during the school day unless those devices have been approved for classroom educational use.
Board member Shery White said the district, like all districts across the state, is implementing the policy to satisfy requirements from the state legislature.
“The legislature passed a proviso that indicated we had to have a policy composed and implemented by the first of the year. We just are required to restrict access, in some form or fashion during the school day,” White said.
Beginning Jan. 6, students will no longer be allowed to access their phones or other devices from when they arrive on campus until the dismissal bell at the end of the day.
The policy allows device use on field trips, during after-school activities, and at sports events.
White said safety was also considered during the creation of the policy.
“Our district has a very good communication ladder that they use to inform parents when things happen. We have an app, and that can be used as an instant communication device by our communication director, the principal at a school where an incident may be occurring. So there is access for the parents to be informed almost immediately,” White said.
The district says the policy does include exceptions for medically necessary devices.
At Wednesday's board meeting, members also discussed the need to survey parents and teachers next spring to determine whether any adjustments to the policy are needed.