[June 09, 2011] York County schools weigh rules on cell phones Tweet Jun 09, 2011 (The York Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- For nearly 40 minutes each school day, students at Hanover and Red Lion Area high schools have complete access to their cell phones during their lunch periods. The second they step foot out of the cafeteria, however, their phones must be switched over to "silent" or "off" modes and kept out of sight, according to school officials. And that's gracious, given many students across York County are prohibited from carrying cell phones during the school day. As cell phone technology becomes more sophisticated, cell phone policy revisions have been a topic of debate at some York County schools. Overall, Hanover High School students obey the cell phone policy; there haven't been many issues of students being defiant, said Superintendent Al Moyer. "There have been a few disciplinary issues for a handful of students, but minimal issues have come to my level," said Moyer. School officials realize a lot of students are involved in extracurricular activities and are required to communicate with their parents throughout the day to arrange transportation, he said. At Red Lion, students are allowed to use their phone in the cafeteria, main lobby or front steps of the school during their scheduled lunch periods. The school district's handbook states while the administration recognizes no educational value in having a cell phone on campus, students may carry a phone during the day as long as it's turned off and remains out of sight in the classrooms and hallways. Proposed changes: Meanwhile, two school districts in York County have weighed a more lenient policy for personal communication devices, including cell phones. The West Shore School District's school board recently reviewed a proposal that would enable students to carry electronic devices, including cell phones, said spokesman Ryan Argot. If approved, the proposal would allow students to use acceptable electronic devices such as cell phones and MP3 players during non-instructional time, including lunch period and between classes, said Argot. Under the current policy adopted in 2000, students are prohibited from carrying all cell devices and pagers on school grounds. The change would go into effect next school year if it's approved, said Argot. "The policy was proposed as part of our regular policy revision process," said Argot. He said the school aims to make policies more in line with current and appropriate technological contributions to education. In order to see how students in the school district would handle the cell phone policy revision, Cedar Cliff High School was the only school in the West Shore district to launch a cell phone pilot program earlier this year, he said. The program allows students to use their phones before and after school, between classes and during lunch, he said. At no time can a student use their cell phone to take pictures or video without specific permission from a teacher or administrator. Over the past year and a half, the staff at Cedar Cliff worked to address the problem of cell phone use in the classrooms when use was prohibited, said Principle Kevin Fillgrove. Students have responded well to the new policy because they get their "cell-phone fix" four minutes between each class and during their 30-minute lunch period, he said. "We're finding there are fewer class interruptions under the new policy," he said. College prep: Recently, the Spring Grove Area school board voted 5-4 to turn down a proposal would have allowed high school students to have cell phones and other personal electronic devices in school. The school's administration, which supported the change, has the option of bringing a revised policy before the school board, said district spokeswoman Lisa Smith. "All school policy changes must go through two readings by the school board. If the administration chooses, they could bring back an altered format of the proposal in the future," said Smith. Under the current policy, students must keep the cell phones in their cars or locked in their lockers for the entire school day. The proposal suggested changing the policy to allow students to carry phones or personal electronic devices with them throughout the day in the "off" mode. Teachers at Spring Grove High School disagreed with the administration's argument that today's tech-savvy cell phones could help students with research activities in the classroom and prepare them for their studies in college. Future changes? As smartphones become more computer based, West York Area School District's cell phone policy is likely to change in the future to allow students to include phones into school work, said Superintendent Emilie Lonardi. Students at West York Area High School are permitted to carry their phones, as long as they stay turned off, said Lonardi. Students are prohibited from using their phones in class, but are allowed to use them before and after school, between classes and during lunch periods, she said. On the other spectrum of the cell phone policy debate, however, Assistant Superintendent and Kennard-Dale High School Principle Rona Kaufmann said she doesn't foresee any future changes to the no-cell phone use policy at South Eastern School District. Kennard-Dale students are allowed carry their cell phones with them during the day, as long as they're in the "off" mode; they are not permitted to use their phones during the school day, said Kaufmann. --Reach Lauren Whetzel at 505-5432 or lwhetze [email protected]. To see more of The York Dispatch or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.yorkdispatch.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The York Dispatch, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]