ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – With about three weeks until the start of school, school board members for Orange County Public Schools met for a workshop to discuss the student code of conduct.
The big topic of discussion was the cellphone policy.
As it currently stands, the draft says students can have cellphones, but they must be silenced and concealed.
It also says that cellphones cannot be used during the school day, from when the start bell rings to dismissal.
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However, what garnered the most debate was where cellphones may be stored.
Angie Gallo, OCPS school board vice chair, said, “pockets are the biggest issue right now; the code of conduct says it can be placed in a backpack, purse or back pocket, and some board members expressed concerns about it being in the back pocket, that it’s too easily accessible.”
Some board members want to remove pockets as a place to store cellphones, arguing that it’s too easy for a student to take it out and use it.
School Board member Maria Salamanca said, “I’m very in support of not having pockets; I think that, you know, we’re trying to be strict. That’s the kind of essence of this, and students will just turn around the corner and take the phone out of the pocket.”
But Superintendent Maria Vazquez pointed out, “Pocket, to me, is an option for a student that doesn’t have a backpack or is unable to bring a backpack.”
Gallo said the problem with changing the language now is timing.
She said if they were to change something, they would have to start the process all over again, which would mean advertising the changes to the public for 30 days.
And with school starting on Aug. 10, there wouldn’t be time to then get the code of conduct in place for the first day of class.
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