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Indian River schools to begin cell phone ban
By MOLLY MURRAY • The News Journal • August 12, 2009

When students in the Indian River School District head back to school next month, they’ll need to leave their cell phones at home.

The school board has banned cell phones, pagers and all other communication devices in the schools during the school day and on district buses.

“They are a distraction,” said Indian River School Board President Charles Bireley. “These devices have no place in the classroom.”

Bireley said parents who worry that students won’t be able to call for help in an emergency need not worry. Every classroom at the district’s two high schools has a telephone, and there are phones in every district office that students can use. Each bus driver also has a cell phone, he said.

But parents can request a waiver from the new rule if there are extenuating circumstances, he said.

Last year, students in the district could have cell phones in their backpacks or lockers but they were not allowed to use them during the school day.

Bireley said there were still problems with text messaging and students taking pictures. Although the district has had no indication the devices have been used to cheat or copy tests, that is also a concern, he said.

“The board of education believes these new regulations will create a more orderly and productive learning environment.”