School Board tackles phone texting issue

The Greene County School Board heard heated comments about revising its policy on electronic communication devices in schools at its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday, May 13.
"Most of the drama that happens" during the school day "is as a result of texting," declared William Monroe Middle School Principal Kyle J. Pursel.
Fights have broken out over messages that have been sent during the school day via cell phones, said Compliance Coordinator Deborah Brown. "They are a detriment at the high school at the moment."
"Why don't we just not allow (electronic communication devices)?" asked Board Member Troy Harlow.
Because if a student's cell phone is taken away, he or she will "just go get another," said Board Member Graydon Lamb.
Concern about the abuse of electronic devices in schools was first made public in March 4, when the Greene County Public School District Safety Committee sponsored a Presentation for Parents on Cyber Bullying at the high school's performing arts center.
At that presentation, Dr. Seth Muraskin, assistant principal at William Monroe High School, defined cyber bullying as: sending offensive messages; distributing derogatory information; posting digitally altered photos; and, tricking people into revealing embarrassing information and forwarding it to others via computers.
While cyber bullying is a growing national concern, school administrators said it is not much of a local concern - "yet."
But at the same presentation, Dale Herring, director of the public school district's technology department, noted that at times classes are disrupted by "parents texting kids."
Muraskin added: "… some (students) can text while the phones are in their pockets … cheating is an issue."
But not many parents heard that presentation: less than a dozen people, excluding school district and sheriff's office personnel, attended.
About a month later, the mother of a William Monroe High School freshman contacted the Record to say she had discovered her daughter had spent one school day texting every three minutes from 8:15 a.m. until about 11 p.m.
She wondered how kids could concentrate on lessons when they're texting.
At the same time, Superintendent of Schools Dave Jeck appeared to be wondering the same thing: he was working on an addendum to the current policy intended to address a growing problem.
Currently, the county's school policy states that the possession of electronic communication devices such as cell phones, beepers and personal digital assistants by students is approved while they are on school property provided the device is turned off and out of sight during the instructional period. Non-compliance may result in confiscation of the device and other disciplinary action.
Last month, Jeck reported that school administrators had several "very unfortunate issues with threatening, disruptive, and other inappropriate text and voice messages."
He also explained that while cell phone issues had once been exclusively a high school-middle school problem, there are now issues on all levels. "We need … a division-wide policy that makes it very clear that usage during the school day is not acceptable and violations will be dealt with sternly."
It's the Code of Virginia that allows students to carry cell phones, and calls upon the schools to control. But both Delegate Rob Bell (R-Charlottesville) and Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon) believe that schools can ban such electronic communication devices altogether.
But Board Chair Michelle Flynn is hesitant to go that route.
During the May 13 meeting she said she is opposed to not allowing cell phones at all. And, reached after the meeting, she elaborated.
"Electronic devices should be turned off at the beginning of the school day- meaning whenever the first bell rings to call school to order- and should remain off until the dismissal bell has sounded," Flynn says.
But, she adds, "I am amazed at the number of parents who have objected to limiting the use of electronic devices because they routinely text message their child(ren) during school hours."
Lamb was also reached after the meeting for additional comment. He agreed with Flynn that the devices should be turned off at the first bell and not turned on again until dismissal.
"They are a distraction for learning when used inappropriately … if parents need to reach kids or kids need to reach parents it should be done at appropriate times, not during (instructional) time."
Board Vice-chair Jason Collier was also contacted after the meeting. He said he does not think electronic communication devices in schools "are necessary … but who am I to argue with the geniuses in Richmond?"
The discussion was tabled until the Board's June meeting.