VIRGINIA- ISD 2142 St. Louis County Schools will start classes next week with a new policy restricting student access to cell phones during the instructional day.
School board members approved the policy at Tuesday’s regular meeting after Superintendent Reggie Engebritson reported receiving little feedback on the issue.
“We sent it out to parents and staff and I haven’t heard anything back from parents other than that survey,” Engebritson said. The policy was reviewed by building principals at school staff meetings to be certain all staff are aware of the policy details, she said.
Cell phone use by students in sixth grade and under is completely prohibited during the day, while seventh through 12th graders will be allowed to use their phones during their lunch periods. Cell phones may not be used in locker rooms or rest rooms at any time.
While some districts have opted to have students place their cell phones in specially designed shelves when arriving at school, ISD 2142’s policy simply requires that cell phones, earphones and other electronic devices be turned off and stored out of sight, which apparently could include a student’s backpack.
Teachers will be the first line of enforcement in the classroom, instructing a student to turn off their device for a first violation. If a student is found using their device again, the teacher will collect the device for the remainder of the class period.
If a student refuses to give up the phone when directed by a teacher to do so, the student will be subject to administrative discipline for insubordination. An administrator will pick up the phone from a classroom, conference with the student and call their parent or guardian, and the phone will be returned at the end of the school day. For a second offense, the student will be sent to the office with their cell phone, and the device will be returned to a parent or guardian after a conference.
If a student is found to be using a cell phone for bullying, harassment, or academic dishonesty, their cell phone privileges may be revoked.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Arrowhead Head Start program.
• Approved two-year contracts with Operating Engineers Local 70 for custodians and bus drivers.
• Approved a service amendment for the Check and Connect program through St. Louis County that will extend the program another two years without any additional cost to the district.
• Approved a resolution supporting an application to the Minnesota State High School League Foundation for a grant to get additional automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with Local 1406 Education Minnesota that will allow Tami Barich to serve as the Q-Comp program coordinator for eight-tenths of her assignment and as an elementary teacher at Northeast Range for two-tenths.
• Hired Sara Debruzzi as a part-time Title 1 teacher at NER.
• Hired Stacy Palmer as a full-time Anishinaabe Language and Culture teacher at North Woods.
• Hired Kim Jirik as a part-time psychology teacher at NER/NW.
• Hired Laura Saarela as a part-time elementary teacher at NW.
• Hired Lisa Haley as a full-time Site II Secretary at NW.
• Hired Jean Kirk as a part-time paraprofessional at NER.
• Hired Tina Bryson as a full-time nutrition employee at NER.
• Hired Misty Williams as a part-time van driver at Tower-Soudan.
• Hired Drusilea Donato as a full-time social worker at NW.
• Hired Alice Hannine as a full-time Check and Connect mentor at NW.
• Hired Alli Krekelberg and Justin Vega as lifeguards at NER on an as-needed basis.
• Hired Cindy Macdiarmid as a substitute nutrition employee at NER.
• Hired Cherie Seopa and Jennifer Burnett as assistant volleyball coaches at NW.
• Hired Jared Bangs as an assistant football coach at NW.
• Accepted resignations from NW head baseball coach RJ Kruse, NW assistant football coach Dan Reing, NW paraprofessional Andreastar Traut, NW assistant volleyball coach Kara Baker, and NW paraprofessional Brielle Anderson. Stacy Palmer and Alice Hannine also submitted resignations in order to accept the positions listed above.