photo by: Journal-World

The Lawrence school board will meet on Monday at the school district offices, 110 McDonald Dr.

After concerns from educators and parents about the district’s cellphone policy and its impact on student learning, the Lawrence school board will review a new policy that would make high schools phone-free during school hours, with some exceptions.

On Monday, school board members will review a policy that says phones will be “turned off and stored out of sight at all times during school hours.” The policy, designed to establish a phone-free instructional environment, aims to reduce distractions and allow students, teachers and staff to focus on learning. According to the meeting agenda, the Lawrence district is set to implement phone-free instruction starting Jan. 6, 2025.

Currently, elementary and middle school students are prohibited from having their phones at all during school hours without special permission. For high school students at Free State and Lawrence High, they are allowed to use their phones at specific times during the school day. They are allowed to use cellphones before school, after school and during lunch times.

Board members will not make a final decision on Monday, but after reviewing the policy for the first time, they will consider moving it forward for further discussion. They may also request potential amendments before taking a final vote on its adoption.

The policy states that classrooms will be phone-free during the school day to ensure a productive, respectful and safe learning environment throughout the district. Cellphones may be used only during academic activities as instructed by faculty and staff. In case of an emergency, students should adhere to the guidance of school staff. Phones are permitted for communication with emergency services or family members as directed.

Exceptions are built in for students who have medical needs and individualized education plans, or IEPs. These students may use their phones or other electronic devices as required by their health plan or as specified in their accommodations.

As the Journal-World reported, the school board heard from numerous teachers looking to change the district’s phone policy for middle schools and high schools. The current policy says phones should be “put away and out of sight,” which many educators have agreed is problematic. A petition started to circulate at the end of May, and it urged the implementation of phone-free policies.

After several educators spoke during public comment, parents joined in the call for phone-free classrooms. Justin Blumenstiel, a parent and University of Kansas professor, gave a presentation during public comment to provide information on the teacher policy for phone-free schools. Blumenstiel created his own petition to support the change in policy.

In other business, school board members will:

* Consider approving an additional $125,000 to help complete the next phases of renovations to Schwegler Elementary School, which includes the remaining 13 classrooms. The funding will be used to complete custom-designed cabinetry for storage in classrooms to organize materials for both students and staff to store supplies and learning materials and to provide work surfaces, according to the agenda.

This project has involved the demolition of existing casework, painting, and the installation of new casework, countertops, sinks, bubblers, bulletin boards, whiteboards and coat hooks in classrooms at Schwegler. Upon completion, the classroom casework at Schwegler will be fully renovated. The increase will bring the total purchasing authority for fiscal year 2025 to $425,000, to be paid from Capital Outlay funds.

* Consider approving the purchase and installation of playground equipment from Aspire 2 Play LLC at New York Elementary School in the amount of $64,287. According to the agenda, the Facilities and Operations Department worked in collaboration with New York Elementary building administration to identify specific needs at the playground. The selection of the base package took into account various factors, including ADA requirements, student enrollment, building capacity, and student-to-playground ratios.

Earlier this year, the school board approved the 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Project List, which included enhancements to districtwide playgrounds. The list earmarks the replacement of the oldest core play structure at New York Elementary, prompted by safety concerns and the aging of the equipment. This purchase will be paid from the Facilities and Operations Capital Outlay Fund.

* Consider approving a contract with Lineage Mail Services LLC not to exceed $100,000 annually. The district continues to benefit from postage discounts by consolidating mailings with other participating organizations and agencies through Lineage Mail Services LLC. The district says it has reduced postage expenses by 28% over the past seven years.

* Hold an executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel matters, with Interim Superintendent Jeanice Swift invited to be present. There will be no action to follow the session.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. The meeting will also be available via the school district’s YouTube channel. Residents who want to share comments with the board may sign up in advance by emailing PublicComment@usd497.org by 6 p.m. Monday and may participate in person or via Webex video/phone conferencing.