More than 100 parents of students in the Lawrence School District have signed a petition supporting a district-wide ban on cell phones in classrooms.

Justin Blumenstiel, father of a Free State High School student, told the school board on Monday that he and his co-signers supported teachers calling for stricter and more uniform cell phone policies.

“I know the school board is looking at these matters very seriously, and I strongly recommend that these matters be addressed expeditiously,” Blumenstiel said.

More than 80 Lawrence teachers signed a petition at the end of last school year proposing that students’ phones be kept in a designated area from the first ring of the day to the last.

Some educators also spoke out in favor of cell phones during the June 24 school board meeting, saying cell phone use in their classrooms has become a crisis and the need to exercise discretion can lead to conflict with students or cost instructional time.

On July 29, the board approved a new district-wide student handbook. Previously, the district used separate handbooks for elementary, middle and high schools. After the board found that they were all very similar, they decided to consolidate them for better uniformity. Cell phone policies at each level did not change with the consolidated handbook.

School Board Chair Kelly Jones previously said the school board committee is considering procedural changes and will seek community input before developing a uniform cell phone policy. In the meantime, the school district will support teachers and staff in enforcing the policy, she said.

Across the district, students are not allowed to take out their cell phones during class. Elementary and middle school policies do not allow students to use their cell phones during school hours unless they receive permission. However, high school students are still allowed to use their cell phones outside of class time.

Blumenstiel said parents hope their petition will bolster support for the affected teachers. Parents of students from every elementary, middle and high school in the district have signed, calling on the district to implement a plan by the end of the fall semester that would go into effect in spring 2025.

In other business areas

• New interim superintendent hired: The board also approved a contract with the new interim director, Jeanice Swift, on Monday.

Read more about it in this article.

Maya Hodison (she/her), stocks reporter, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about her work for the Times here. Check out her employee bio here.

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