St. John board gives principals right to revoke policy

By JOHN HOWARD

Staff Reporter

RESERVE-The St. John Parish School Board passed a motion 10-1 on Thursday to change the Student Code of Conduct Handbook to allow cell phones in parish high schools. The new rule is expected to go into effect sometime next week.

The School Board Discipline Committee met earlier that day to make some adjustments to the current policy on telecommunication devices in high schools.

The new policy states that students shall be allowed to possess a cell phone provided it is turned off, completely stowed away, and not used on school grounds during school hours.

&#8220Completely stowed away” means the phone must be placed in the students’ locker, school bag, purse or in the pants pocket. The phone is not allowed to be hanging outside of the pocket or on a cell phone holster or clip.

If the student is caught with a cell phone turned on at school or on the bus, certain consequences will occur.

On the first offense, the phone will be confiscated for 48 hours and must be picked up by the student’s parent with proof of ownership.

On the second offense, the student will receive a two-day in-school suspension and the phone will be confiscated for the remainder of the school year.

On the third offense, the student will receive a three to nine-day out-of-school suspension with a recommendation of expulsion depending on the severity of the offense.

The change in policy came at the request of several parents, students and administrators. Some students have to catch the bus early in the morning, several blocks away from their homes and the parents want to be able to contact their child in case of an emergency. Also students who participate in after school activities would like to be able to call their parents to pick them up after the practice or activity.

Some of the problems with cell phone use in the schools were that students were using camera phones to take pictures of tests, text messaging each other answers to tests and there was one incident in which a student called their family members to fight another student.

&#8220At this age students are not able to handle that yet,” said East St. John High School Administration Member Connie Dickerson. &#8220If they need to use the phone they can come to one of the offices and use the phone. We have never said, ‘you can’t use the phone.’”

Discipline Committee Chairman Matt Ory said the change in policy is implemented as a pilot program. This means that the principal of the school can revert back to the original policy at any time if he or she sees a problem.

After the board passed the motion to change the student handbook, the public was cleared out of the boardroom for an employee grievance hearing.

Earlier in the meeting vacancies were filled in the Instructional and Special Education Para-educator position, Curriculum Coordinator position, IEP Support Teacher position, Implementation Coach position, Custodian positions and two Assistant Principal positions at Fifth Ward Elementary and Lake Ponchartrain Elementary.

The board also asked all present to keep St. John Parish Schools Resource Officer Vernon Bailey in their prayers. He was transported to Tulane Medical after complaining about a pain in his left arm-an early sign of a heart attack.