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    • The WCSD board wants the district to collect cell phones from every student
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    The WCSD board wants the district to collect cell phones from every student

    Vaseline Posted on

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    The Washoe County School District is moving forward with a plan to have students give up their cellphones in every classroom starting in January.

    Educators across the country are struggling with the distractions, mental health issues and harassment that come with cell phones, the district said.

    “I’m absolutely against ‘just don’t take it out of your pocket.’ That’s just not going to work,” school board President Beth Smith said during discussions about the move at Tuesday’s board meeting. “The phones need to be kept separate from the students.”

    She supported mandatory cell phone “hotels” or “spas” where students would store their phones during classes.

    The district is expected to come up with a formal plan for a cell phone caddy or box in every classroom starting in January. The council is expected to approve the plan later this month.

    Board members strongly believe that any plan to address cell phones in the classroom should be district-wide and more aggressive than letting students keep them out and in their backpacks.

    Trustee Colleen Westlake said parents would “one million percent” be able to reach a child during a school emergency without the student having their phone in a backpack or locker.

    “The problem is there are no filters on a phone that stop the buzzing and the screen comes up and all that, and every time that happens, that child gets distracted,” Westlake said.

    The district calls the initiative ‘Phone Away and Learn Today’. It plans to launch poster competitions and government service announcements to promote the new campaign among students and their parents.

    The district said the regulations would be updated to allow students with disabilities who use the cellphones to monitor things like blood sugar levels or need the technology because of a disability.

    The district said it plans to direct principals to make daily announcements about why it is important to have device-free time. Administrators, counselors and teachers will also receive training on how to promote the new guidelines.

    This story has been updated to add a video.

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