Superintendent Paul Gausman announced the new protocols — as well as a new digital hall pass system in high schools — at Tuesday's Lincoln Board of Education meeting, saying the use of phones and social media is contributing to a "mental health crisis for our teenagers."
"Experts agree that children and teens need clear-cut rules and limitations when it comes to using digital devices and existing on social media platforms," Gausman said. "Providing a consistent personal electronic device plan across LPS gives our teachers and administrators the tools that they need and it gives our students a clear understanding of our expectations of them and the consequences of them not following those expectations."
The new rules, which will apply to all personal electronic devices, vary across the three building levels.
- In elementary schools, the expectation remains that if a student has a phone, it is turned off and kept in their backpack during the school day.
- In middle schools, devices must be powered off and out of sight at all times, including during lunch and passing periods, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- High school students must power off phones and keep them away during class, but can use them before and after school, between periods and during lunch.
If a student uses their phone during class, staff will first ask the student to put it away in a designated storage area in the classroom, according to the new protocols. If the student does not comply, the device will be taken to the main office for the rest of the day. As a last step, students will be removed from the classroom if they continue to not comply.
"Students will still have the ability to communicate with families in any crisis situation," Gausman said. "We simply ask students to turn off electronic devices and put them away during instructional time. This will limit distractions and help them focus on their important task of learning.
Students who need to contact parents for emergency reasons may request to use a phone in the school office. Likewise, parents trying to reach their child during school hours may contact the office.
"Remember when we were in school? If our family needed to get an important message to us during the school day, they would contact the school office, and that message would be relayed to us as students," Gausman said. "That is still the case. It has become clear that cellphones have become a distraction in the learning environment, and implementing these new rules will help maximize instructional time, increase in-person communication and enhance safety for all."
In addition to the phone parameters, LPS is also rolling out digital hall passes in its eight high schools as a way to track missed instructional time and limit out-of-class behavioral issues. The new system will be accessed via students' Chromebooks, and each student will be allowed three passes per day to allow them to visit the restroom, library, office, nurse, counselor or other classrooms.
Teachers and the health office may grant additional passes and students are allowed to leave in case of an emergency, such as a medical episode. If a student doesn't have their Chromebook, a staff member can create a digital pass. Paper passes may also be used.
Electronic hall passes were piloted during summer school based on systems already in place at other Nebraska districts, while the phone rules were tested out at two high schools last year.
The protocols, which do not require board approval, were also among recommendations Gausman, whose is entering his second year as superintendent, outlined in an end-of-year transition report to the board in April.
The first day of school is Aug. 14.
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