Board adopts revisions to phone-use policy to align with state Act 42

The Stevens Point Area Public School Board approved revisions to Policy 5136 to bring district policy into alignment with Wisconsin’s Act 42.

Staff said the policy updates reflect the district’s least-restrictive, district-wide framework while allowing building-level handbooks to set more restrictive practices for elementary and junior-high schools. Under the adopted language, junior-high and elementary students are not to use personal communication devices during the school day; high-school students at SPASH may use devices between classes and at lunch to allow employed students and those with family-care responsibilities to communicate.

Chris, who presented the policy, said district practice had already implemented many of these limits and the update formally aligns the written policy with existing practice. Board members discussed enforcement support for teachers and the need to keep building handbooks and family communications up to date. The motion to approve the revisions was moved, seconded and carried.