'It just shows how important that feedback is:' Brockton schools relax phone policy

BROCKTON - The Brockton School Committee has officially approved several policy changes going into the 2023-24 school year after multiple heated, summer-long discussions with Brockton students, parents and administrators.

Many Brockton Public Schools officials decried the blatant disregard by Brockton High students for the district's dress code, cellphone and public safety policies, while students are rarely reprimanded for violating these policies.

In July, the district proposed several drastic policy changes that outraged some parents and students - from a restrictive dress code to students turning in their phones for the entirety of the school day.

But at their meeting on Aug. 15, the committee voted to approve changes to the policy that took into account feedback from over 400 members of the community.

"This was very much revised because of the consistent feedback that we had," said Ward 2 committee member Cynthia Rivas Mendes. "It just shows how important that feedback is."

Brockton High's new cellphone policy

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The committee approved the new policy for next school year, which allows students to have their phones with them throughout the school day, but they must be stored away at all times other than students' lunch periods.

"We want to respect students and their opinions," said Mike Thomas, Brockton superintendent and interim principal of Brockton High.

"We want to make sure we give them the opportunities as young adults and I think this policy revision has shown that. But I think if we go through the year and there's instances of blatant cellphone use that is widespread ... the committee should reserve the right to putting a full policy in place of Yondr bags," he said.

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According to the approved policy, violations "may lead to referrals to the Associate Principal of Climate and Culture and result in the following:"

• First violation: Written warning and call home to parent/guardian

• Second violation: Associate principal hosts meeting with student and parent/guardian

• Third violation: Student is issued a Yondr pouch that phone must be kept in until further notice

Yondr bags are small pouches students would place their cellphones into at the beginning of the day that the school would hold onto until lunch periods or the end of the school day.

What is a Yondr pouch?

At the committee's public forum in the cafeteria at Brockton High, Thomas discussed the district's original plan to keep students off their cellphones during the day - which meant the school would hold all students' phones in Yondr bags the entire school day.

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The proposed policy was met with strong criticism from parents, who said they would feel safer if their children had access to a cellphone in case of an emergency at the school.

"We have to make classrooms more engaging, so they don't want to be on their cellphones," Thomas said. "We have to do something."

The first proposed policy, modeled after one implemented at Springfield Tech High School, would have all students secure their cell phones in a Yondr Phone Pouch at the beginning of each school day or each class period. Students could retrieve their phones during lunchtime, and exceptions would be made for students with medical issues.

No consequences for being on cellphones

The approved policy doesn't differ much from the 2023-24 school year policy. Last year, according to multiple Brockton High students, teachers almost never reprimanded students for being on their cellphones, or for many other school policy violations like the district's dress code.

"No one's been enforcing anything at this school," said Britney Blanchet Montinard, a rising senior at Brockton High.

Last year's policy stated that: Cellphones and electronic devices may be used inside the building in the designated areas prior to 7:10 a.m. and after 1:59 p.m. Between 7:10 a.m. and 1:59 p.m. cellphones may only be used for educational purposes and only when approved by a supervising teacher.

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Phones can be used during school day:

• During class time for teacher-approved educational activities, and only with the teacher’s permission and supervision.

• During Directed Academics for educational purposes, and only with the teacher’s permission and supervision

• In the IRCs for educational purposes, and only with the teacher’s permission and supervision.

• In spaces dedicated to students of teachers absent without a substitute for educational purposes, and only with the teacher’s permission and supervision.

• During lunch in the cafeteria and during outside lunch privileges only. Violations of this policy may lead to referrals to the Assistant Dean

According to last year's student handbook, repeated cellphone use could result in a long-term suspension for a student or could lead to the involvement of school police.

New dress code policy

The committee also approved the new dress code, which majorly scales back the restrictions the district set in its initial proposal: students could only wear tucked-in button-down shirts and black, gray or tan pants or shorts.

"You have a reasonable dress code that your staff does not enforce," Blanchet Montinard said.

Now, students can wear clothing that reflects their own personal style as long as it covers most of their body and doesn't show any harmful symbols or messages.

A main topic of discussion for the school committee regarded hooded sweatshirts and jackets, which were banned within the high school in the newly proposed policy.

But the committee approved the policy with a slight adjustment: students are allowed to wear hooded sweatshirts to school as long as they don't put their hoods up. Thomas said that hoods are an issue in the school since they make it difficult to identify students, or visitors in the building.

"It's all about safety," Thomas said. "[But] how do we give students, who are young adults, the option to do the right thing ... we want school to be a fun place."

Enterprise staff writer Christopher Butler can be reached by email at cbutler@enterprisenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton High cellphone policy: What to know going into 2023-24 year