Superintendent highlights student honors and flags new state 'bell-to-bell' cell-phone law for handbooks

During the superintendent's report staff highlighted student and program successes and alerted the board to a new state legislative requirement on wireless devices.

The superintendent reported that third‑grade students nominated by the Indiana Department of Education qualified for national recognition and noted Evan Decker was named an Indiana academic all‑star. District teams earned placements in recent competitions: Lincoln Trail placed first in a math-bowl meet and other schools placed second and third regionally; at the high school, Ivy Tech Automotive Skills Contest placings were noted (first, third and fourth for named students).

The superintendent also reported the district website is roughly 90% complete and that principals were trained on a classroom communication platform that will replace a prior tool at the elementary level. The board was thanked for community partnerships and the administrator noted a $649.38 check from German American Bank’s school-spirit debit-card program.

Staff warned the board about a state law that expands wireless communication-device restrictions to a bell-to-bell model, covering passing periods and lunch and calling for devices to be powered off and inaccessible during the school day. The superintendent said the district will work to comply and that handbook language will be updated accordingly. Staff did not present specific language at this meeting; handbook revisions will be returned for approval at a future meeting.

The board received this report with no formal action taken at the meeting.