Board Approves New Electronic Devices Policy

November 18th, 2024 /
Caleb Price /
News, PCSD School Board

At the November 12, 2024 school board meeting, the Provo City School District Board of Education approved a new Policy 4200: Fostering Ideal Learning Environments: Electronic Device Restrictions. This new policy will be implemented January 7, 2025.

View full Policy 4200: Fostering Ideal Learning Environments: Electronic Devices Restrictions

Rationale & Benefits

The goal of this new policy is to help students have a healthy relationship with their electronic devices by clearly establishing time and place for device use in our schools to provide:

More Focused Learning Environment
Increased Student Engagement
Increased Student Achievement
Consistency District Wide
Improved Mental Health
Reduction in Bullying

Electronic Devices Summary

This policy addresses the use of electronic devices including cell phones, smart watches, and earbuds/headphones.

Elementary
- Devices must remain on a mode where notifications cannot be received and out of sight during school hours.
Middle School
- Devices must remain on a mode where notifications cannot be received and out of sight during school hours
High School
- Devices must remain on a mode where notifications cannot be received and out of sight during class periods.
- Devices may be used before and after school, during class changes, and at lunch.

Enforcement

All students will receive a daily reminder to put away their electronic devices.

1st Offense: Student will place their device in a provided locked container which remains with the student for the rest of the school day. Parents will be notified that the electronic device has been placed in the container. A school administrator will be available in the main office to unlock the container at the end of the school day.
2nd Offense: The same process as above will be followed except the administrator will not unlock the container until a parent has been notified and has requested that the device be unlocked.
3rd Offense: The same process will be followed as the 2nd offense except the parent and student will be required to meet with an administrator to develop a contract and plan to support the student in following this policy.

Employee Expectations

For this policy to be successful in creating learning environments that are free from distractions, teachers must create engaging learning environments and teach bell to bell, enforcing the policy as written. Teachers should also model appropriate cell phone use and not use their devices during instructional time, except in emergency situations or in cases where they are using it to support instruction (i.e. timers).