Dear Beacon Community:

I have an update regarding our 25-26 school year cell phone policy.

The new law requires New York school districts to restrict access to personal internet-enabled devices for the entirety of the school day, with a few exceptions. After a successful year of our classroom phone ban,  I am excited to see more positive effects in our schools this year.  

You can read the actual law here.

The Board will vote on our policy on July 21. A copy of the policy is available on this page.

Here are a few notes about our policy: At the high school and the middle school, students will be directed to store their smartphones and other internet-enabled devices in their lockers for the entire school day, including lunch and recess. Administrators at both schools will spend the first few days of the school year acclimating our students to this new procedure. Most schools in this region will be doing something similar. Elementary schools will follow the same procedures from previous years, with phones and devices in cubbies and backpacks for the entire school day.

Communication will be key with this change.  One of the significant areas of concern from our last month's survey was communication concerns.  Our schools are working on creating communication planning that will be clear to parents and families about who to contact at each school for what, as well as a way of notifying parents of schedule changes.  Students who need to reach out to parents during the day can do so at different times from school phones as directed by teachers, administrators, or guidance counselors. Detailed information about our communication plans will be available to families by mid-August.  Details about exceptions to the policy, through an IEP, 504 plan, or the caregiver exception, will be posted on our website and emailed to families on August 1.  

Another area of feedback from our survey was the need to be clear about procedures and consequences when they are not followed.  No phone storage system is perfect, so we will focus on working with students who try to access their phones during the day.  Students accessing their phones during the school day must turn them over to an administrator.  The first time, for the remainder of the day, the second time, for five days, etc.  The progressive consequences are spelled out in the policy.  Each administrator will have locked cell phone lockers in their offices to store student devices that do not comply with the policy.  Students out of compliance with the policy will check their phones in the morning with an administrator and get them back at the end of the day.  

We will be back in touch several times before the start of the school year with updates and create a section on our website dedicated to the new policy.  

The new policy and law will create fewer distractions for students and more communication challenges for all of us.  We will work hard to meet the challenges of the new policy for the remainder of this summer and throughout the 25-26 school year.

Please reach out to me at landahl.m@beaconk12.org if you have questions or concerns.

Matt Landahl