Beatrice board debates stricter student-phone rules for high school handbook

The Beatrice Public Schools Board of Education spent the largest portion of its meeting debating a proposed Personal Electronic Device (PED) rule for the student handbook that would restrict phone use during instructional time at Beatrice High School.

Unidentified Speaker 4, presenting the proposal, said the change would place PEDs in a teacher-designated classroom storage location and make expectations "clearer" for students and staff. "In the new policy, all PEDs are stored in the teacher's designated location requirement," the presenter said, summarizing what the handbook change would require.

The proposal is framed as a handbook rule rather than a board-level policy, which would make it easier to update and enforce without a formal policy amendment. "It would not be a board policy unless you opt to make it a board policy," Unidentified Speaker 4 said, noting the board could instead approve the handbook language.

Board members compared the district's options with practices in nearby systems. Unidentified Speaker 3 said Lincoln Public Schools' approach — phones placed in backpacks or a designated spot as students enter class — has worked well in that district: "As soon as they walk in a classroom, no questions asked, it had to be in their book bag." Other members cited Grand Island and Tri-County practices that require devices be put away during the school day.

Discussion focused on enforcement and teacher consistency. Supporters said clearer handbook language would remove discretion that leads to uneven application between classrooms. "That was it. Period," Unidentified Speaker 5 said, describing the simplicity of a consistent rule. Opponents and skeptics raised concerns about teachers asking students to use phones for specific lessons. Unidentified Speaker 1 asked whether teachers would be allowed to direct students to use phones for assignments; Unidentified Speaker 5 replied that Chromebooks should be used where possible and that exceptions would be considered only with "better understanding what they were wanting to do with them."

The draft handbook rule also includes incremental disciplinary steps for infractions (first-day device removal with progressively longer holds for repeat offenses). Presenters characterized those steps as stronger than the district's prior, more-ambiguous approach. "If the phone goes off or the phone is not initially in the pocket right away, that's an infraction," Unidentified Speaker 5 said, noting the change makes consequences clearer and easier to enforce.

The board did not adopt the change as a formal policy at this meeting. Members signaled support for implementing handbook language and working with teachers at the start of the school year to communicate expectations, with several saying the district could revisit or elevate the rule to a board policy later if necessary.

Next steps: staff will proceed with handbook language and administrative implementation plans; the board will continue discussing whether to formalize the change as board policy in future meetings.