REGIONAL- ISD 2142 St. Louis County Schools students and parents are being given time to prepare for a policy change that may come as a shock to some and relief to others – students won’t have access to their cellphones for most of the school day when classes resume in September.
The ISD 2142 school board signed off on the basic policy at its June regular meeting, and Superintendent Reggie Engebritson said on Tuesday that more details will be worked out when district principals return to work in August. Parents will receive the completed policy by mid-August, Engebritson said.
What’s known about the change can be found in a notice to parents posted to the social media pages of the district’s schools. Students will not be allowed to use or have cellphones out during class or instructional activities but may use them during lunch.
The rationale for the policy is to minimize the impact of cell phone use on student behavior, mental health, and academic achievement. The notice referenced research showing that excessive phone use affects concentration, increases negative behaviors, and harms mental health.
Last spring the Minnesota Legislature passed an education bill that included a provision that all school districts must adopt a cellphone policy by Spring 2025, although it did not prescribe what should be in the policy. Model policies are being developed by principal associations, but school districts will not be required to adopt them.
Propane bids
Board members reviewed and approved propane fuel bids for the upcoming school year, once again having to settle for higher prices at schools with tanks the district does not own.
Ferrellgas owns the tanks at Cherry and Tower-Soudan, and other companies won’t bid on those sites, by default relieving Ferrellgas from submitting a competitive bid.
The district will pay Ferrellgas $1.19 per gallon for propane at Cherry and T-S, 14 cents per gallon higher than at the district’s other three attendance centers. Superior Fuel submitted the winning low bid for South Ridge at $1.047 per gallon. Lakes Gas was the low bidder for service at North Woods and Northeast Range at $1.05 per gallon.
In other business, the board:
• Approved over three dozen policy revisions recommended by the Minnesota School Boards Assocation to align with changes in laws from the last legislative session.
• Approved resolutions for memberships in the Minnesota State High School League.
• Adopted a resolution encouraging the state to expand broadband accees to reach more of the district’s students and families.
• Hired Sydney Webb as a full-time ECFE/ECSE with the assignment split between NER and T-S.
• Hired Laura Saarela as a part-time PreK/ECFE at NW.
• Hired Alli Sandberg as a full-time special education teacher at T-S.
• Hired Amos Kolodji as a full-time math teacher at NER.
• Hired Andrew Jugovich as a four-fifths time Elementary STEM/Science teacher at NW.
• Hired Shayla Zaverl as a full-time special education teacher at NW.
• Hired Lorenda Daugherty as a four-fifths time music teacher at NW.
• Hired Blake Scofield as a full-time elementary teacher at NW.
• Hired Jacob Rosin as a full-time special education teacher at NER.
• Hired Paul Zollinger as a full-time science teacher at NER.
• Hired Adam Hagen as a two-tenths time elementary physical education teacher at NER.
• Hired Malania Madill as a full-time elementary teacher at NER.
• Hired Krystal Rynders as a part-time paraprofessional at T-S.
• Hired Timothy Johnson as full-time afternoon custodian at NER.
• Hired Kara Baker as assistant volleyball coach at NW at half stipend.
• Hired Camryn Meyer as assistant volleyball coach at NER.
• Accepted retirements from van drivers John Zaitz and Mary Groh.