Fort Worth ISD gets serious about banning cellphones for students

by PegNews wire

FORT WORTH — Recently, the Fort Worth ISD Board of Education approved a student cellphone policy that could leave violators phoneless.

The district prohibits students from using cellphones, pagers/beepers, or any other telecommunications item that would be considered a distraction to the educational enterprise while the student is on school property. District employees will confiscate such devices.

Students in prekindergarten through grade 5 are not allowed to possess such devices while on school property or while attending school-sponsored or school-related activities on or off school property.

Students in grades 6–12 may possess telecommunications devices while on school property or while attending school-sponsored or school-related activities on or off school property. However, such devices shall not be visible and shall remain off during the instructional school day.

Campus administrators may determine that there is an appropriate use of cellphones, pagers/beepers, and any other telecommunications devices for students participating in extracurricular activities.

Parents shall be notified within two school days after a telecommunications device is confiscated. The item shall be retained until the parent retrieves and pays a $15 fee. The $15 fee will be charged each time a device is confiscated. Phones and other devices will be disposed of if not retrieved within 30 days.

An informational poster campaign has been initiated at each campus that speaks directly to the teenagers in the language they understand. Additional information about this policy can be found at www.fwisd.org and in the Student Handbook.

Source: Fort Worth ISD