Martin County School Board considering harsher punishment for cell phone use

SINCE REOPENED. FLORIDA LAW ALREADY REQUIRES CELL PHONES BROUGHT TO SCHOOL BY STUDENTS TO BE TURNED OFF AND PUT AWAY DURING CLASS BUT THERE’S ONE SCHOOL BOARD ON THE TREASURE COAST THAT WANTS TO TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER. AS OUR JADE JARVIS REPORTS TONIGHT, MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD IS TAKING A LOOK AT HARSHER PUNISHMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHO USE THEIR PHONES IN CLASS. MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE HEAVILY LEANING TOWARDS THIS NEW POLICY, BUT THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HOW IT WILL BE PUT INTO PRACTICE. BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSSING A PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT THAT WOULD SEPARATE STUDENTS OF ALL GRADE LEVELS FROM THEIR CELL PHONES IF THEY’RE CAUGHT USING THEM DURING CLASS. I THINK YOU NEED ONE SENTENCE IN CAPITAL LETTERS THAT SAY, TAKE YOUR CELL PHONE OUT. WE WILL TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU, AND YOUR PARENT IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND GET IT. YOU DO THIS MORE THAN ONCE AND WE WILL FOLLOW THE RULES FOR PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE. MOST OF TUESDAY NIGHT’S MEETING WAS SPENT HASHING OUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE NEW POLICIES, SUCH AS CHANGING THE WORD CONFISCATED TO TAKEN AWAY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR FAMILIES TO UNDERSTAND. I THINK YOU NEED TO SPELL OUT VERY CLEARLY THAT THIS IS A CELL PHONE VIOLATION, THAT YOU HAVE HAD YOUR CELL PHONE OUT, AND THIS IS THE THIS IS THE THING YOU ARE VIOLATING. YOU WENT THROUGH. SOME BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE PART OF THE RULE REQUIRING PARENTS TO PICK UP THE CONFISCATED ELECTRONIC DEVICES AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY, WHERE I’M HAVING A LITTLE HEARTBURN IS HOLDING A STUDENT’S PHONE AND DEMANDING A PARENT COME AT ME AS A PARENT, I WORKED TILL SEVEN 8:00 AT NIGHT. I’M NOT ABLE TO GO AND PICK UP MY STUDENT’S PHONE, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY OF MY FAMILY. I JUST HAVE A LITTLE HEARTBURN. THERE WERE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT STUDENTS POTENTIALLY NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THEIR PHONES IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, THERE IS A LEVEL OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY HERE FOR THE STUDENT AND FOR THE PARENTS AND FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE ALL HAVE A PIECE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE THIS WORK AND TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND WITHOUT IT, I DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY. WHAT DO YOU DO? JUST A STUDENT DOES THIS IN THE END OF THE DAY, AND YOU JUST GIVE IT BACK TO THEM. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BOARD IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THIS POLICY DURING NEXT WEEK’S MEETING

Florida law already requires cell phones to be turned off and put away during classroom instruction.But the Martin County School Board wants to take it a step further with harsher punishments for students who use their phones in class.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Tuesday, board members discussed a proposed change to the student code of conduct that would separate students of all grade levels from their cell phones if they’re caught using them during class.“I think you need one sentence in capital letters that says, ‘Take your cell phone out, we will take it away from you, and your parent is going to have to come back and get it. You do this more than once, and we will follow the rules for progressive discipline,’” board member Christia Li Roberts said.Most of Tuesday night’s meeting was spent hashing out the language of the new policy, such as changing the word “confiscated” to “taken away” to make it easier for families to understand.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News“I think you need to spell out very clearly that this is a cell phone violation. That you have had your cell phone out and this is the thing you are violating,” Roberts said.However, some board members are also concerned about the part of the rule requiring parents to pick up the confiscated electronic devices at the end of the school day.“Where I’m having a little heartburn is holding a student’s phone and demanding a parent come – me as a parent, I worked until 7, 8 o’clock at night. I’m not able to go and pick up my student’s phone which is the property of my family. I just have a little heartburn,” board member Michael DiTerlizzi said.There were also concerns about students potentially not having access to their phones in the case of an emergency.“There is a level of personal responsibility here for the students and for the parents and for the school district, we all have a piece of responsibility to make this work and to really make a difference and without it, I don’t know any other way. What do you do – a student does this and you just give it back to them at the end of the day?” board member Marsha B. Powers said.The board is expected to make a final decision about this policy during next week’s meeting.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

STUART, Fla. —

Florida law already requires cell phones to be turned off and put away during classroom instruction.

But the Martin County School Board wants to take it a step further with harsher punishments for students who use their phones in class.

Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

Tuesday, board members discussed a proposed change to the student code of conduct that would separate students of all grade levels from their cell phones if they’re caught using them during class.

“I think you need one sentence in capital letters that says, ‘Take your cell phone out, we will take it away from you, and your parent is going to have to come back and get it. You do this more than once, and we will follow the rules for progressive discipline,’” board member Christia Li Roberts said.

Most of Tuesday night’s meeting was spent hashing out the language of the new policy, such as changing the word “confiscated” to “taken away” to make it easier for families to understand.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

“I think you need to spell out very clearly that this is a cell phone violation. That you have had your cell phone out and this is the thing you are violating,” Roberts said.

However, some board members are also concerned about the part of the rule requiring parents to pick up the confiscated electronic devices at the end of the school day.

“Where I’m having a little heartburn is holding a student’s phone and demanding a parent come – me as a parent, I worked until 7, 8 o’clock at night. I’m not able to go and pick up my student’s phone which is the property of my family. I just have a little heartburn,” board member Michael DiTerlizzi said.

There were also concerns about students potentially not having access to their phones in the case of an emergency.

“There is a level of personal responsibility here for the students and for the parents and for the school district, we all have a piece of responsibility to make this work and to really make a difference and without it, I don’t know any other way. What do you do – a student does this and you just give it back to them at the end of the day?” board member Marsha B. Powers said.

The board is expected to make a final decision about this policy during next week’s meeting.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Martin County School Board considering harsher punishment for cell phone use

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