Following a monthslong soft-rollout period, the Carbon School District has announced the official implementation of the District’s new cellphone policy will start on Thursday, Nov. 14. This includes several changes that have come from parent and community feedback to the initial draft of the policy.

One of the biggest changes in the latest version of the policy regards lunchtime phone usage. Middle school students, as in the original draft, will not be able to use cellphones during lunchtime. For high school students, however, they will be allowed to access their phones during lunch, which was one of the major criticisms facing the initial policy.

The ban also covers Bluetooth devices such as earbuds,” Bluetooth-connected devices are expected to be disconnected from cellphones during the school day. No wireless headphones will be allowed in school. Wired headphones will be allowed when connected to school-issued devices and used for education.

The School District in the announcement also shared that students would be the ones responsible for placing their phones in the magnetic signal-blocking pouches. “If a student refuses to use the pouches provided by the school, the student will be expected to turn off their cellphone and keep it in their locker or backpack. Students cannot keep their phones in their pockets or have them accessible or visible during the school day.

The district also explained how it will handle violations of the policy:

• Cellphones will be confiscated and taken to the office when: 
  • A student is caught using their cellphone, accessing a connected Bluetooth device, or using another internet-connected device during school hours.
  • A cellphone is visible during school hours.
  • The outline of a cellphone is visible through a pocket.

In the event of a confiscation, students will not be able to claim their phones, instead first-time offenses will result in the phone being confiscated, with students having to fill out a form, and parents retrieving the phone. Second-time offenses will result in a repeat of the initial protocol, along with a conference with the student. For every subsequent violation, the student will receive three days of in-school suspension, a student-parent meeting with school administrators, and a restorative instructional assignment.

Students will also be responsible for maintaining their assigned pouches, with a $30 fine being assessed to those who either lose or damage their pouch.

As a part of the district’s ongoing efforts to combat electronic distraction within the classroom, some Carbon High School teachers performed studies to see how often students were receiving notifications during class time. One teacher across the five-period day, found in total students had received 788 notifications in their class alone. 

The CSD has provided the public with access to a frequently asked questions document and infographic to help educate them more on the subject. To view the full announcement, click here.