The Ithaca City School District Board of Education has paused plans to overhaul its cell phone ban after principals criticized the process and said they were excluded from discussions, according to The Ithaca Voice.
The board had previously directed administrators to revise the policy, which currently requires students to keep phones inaccessible during the school day using district-provided pouches.
Superintendent Luvelle Brown proposed hiring five full-time employees and investing in secure storage, with an estimated initial personnel cost of $500,000.
Principals told board members the existing policy had reduced cell phone use and improved student engagement, while warning against major changes without more input from staff.
The board unanimously rescinded its July directive and agreed to revisit the issue after gathering more data and stakeholder feedback.
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