Policy committee orders phones off, in lockers; clarifies device language

The Madison Board of Education policy committee voted to recommend that the full board approve changes to Policy 5090.9 requiring privately owned technological devices to be turned off and stored for the duration of the academic day.

Committee members said the existing draft's use of the term "silenced" could create ambiguity, particularly for smart watches and devices with independent cellular service. "Silenced" could allow some devices to remain powered and functional; one committee member urged the policy text be changed to read "devices must be off and placed in lockers prior to the start" of the school day. Members instructed staff to make the parallel edits in the administrative regulation so that policy and regulation language match.

The committee discussed implementation challenges, including teacher enforcement and edge cases such as watches with standalone cellular plans. Members accepted the proposed approach of relying on administrative regulations for enforcement details and agreed to forward the revised policy and regulation to the full board for a second reading so the rule can be in place over the summer before the school year.

No formal dissent was recorded in the transcript. The committee asked staff to ensure consistent language across middle and high school documents and to provide implementation guidance before the policy takes effect.