Orange County students will not be allowed to use cell phones during the school day, including during lunch, under a new policy approved by Orange County Public Schools Tuesday.
Cell phone use will be banned entirely, unless explicitly asked by a teacher for educational purposes, or for health conditions.
The Orange County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the policy. It will go into effect when the new school year begins Aug. 10.
The policy requires students’ cell phones to be silenced or turned off in backpacks or purses from the first to the final school bell. Board members also decided to not allow cell phones to be carried in students’ pockets.
Students who use devices for health conditions that sync with their phones must document that information with the school.
During the first weeks of school, administrators will be enforcing the rule without consequences. After that, students who use cell phones in school will be at risk of having their phones confiscated for the whole school day.
These changes come from largely teachers who experienced discipline issues with students using their phones during school hours. The goal of the new policy is to limit distractions in the classroom and encourage in-person conversations, the school board says.
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