BVA approves new policy for cellphones

The guidelines include a three-offense rule for violators.

To curb the use of phones in school, the Belle Vernon Area school board has approved a new cellphone policy for K-12 students.

In a unanimous vote, the board approved the new policy, which sets up guidelines for phone use in school and includes a three-offense rule.

“The Belle Vernon Area School District recognizes that personal technology is an embedded aspect of American culture,” the policy reads. “However, schools across the Commonwealth and nation have seen a rise in disruptions to the typical school day as a direct result of the use and misuse of personal electronic devices. The rise in these disruptions has led to loss of instructional time for both individuals and groups.”

The policy states that students’ electronic devices like phones, watches and earbuds, must be turned off and not in sight while on campus. Devices visible to faculty or administration will be confiscated.

All students in grades K-8 will follow the district’s “away for the day” guidelines. However, students in grades 9-12 will be permitted their cell phones in the morning prior to the bell for homeroom.

They will also be permitted to access their electronic devices during their scheduled lunch period. For the remainder of the day, high school students are expected to have all their devices put away in a bag and powered off.

For their first offense, an administrator would meet with the student and take their phone, but it would be returned at the end of the school day.

On a second offense, a phone call would be made to their parent or guardian, a verbal warning would be issued, and the device would be returned to the student at the end of the day.

On a third offense, the phone would be confiscated, the student would be assigned an appropriate consequence, and the cellphone would be returned to their parent/ guardian at an agreed upon time. After multiple offenses, the student may have to turn in their device to the school office at the start of the school day, where it will be stored until the end of the day.

The new policy also prohibits the taking, storing, disseminating, transferring, viewing or sharing of obscene, pornographic, lewd or otherwise illegal images or photographs, whether by electronic data transfer or other means, including but not limited to texting and emailing.

Update on student transportation

The district last Thursday provided families with recommendations on what to do during the upcoming school year for student transportation due to ongoing surrounding road projects.

The projects referred to by the district include:

• The Divergent Diamond ramp construction at I-70 and Route 51.

• The Arnold City ramp construction/closure.

• The Finley Road/Rostraver Road closure.

• Route 136 and the Coal Hollow/Rostraver Road intersection.

Due to these road projects, the school district is recommending that families allow extra travel time during the first weeks of school. The district is asking families to consider having their kids ride their bus to reduce congestion at drop-off and pick-up times.

The district’s statement also reminded families about their upcoming time change at all their schools. The changes were announced in January.

For students, doors open and bus dropoff will begin at 7:05 a.m. for high school, 7:45 a.m. for middle school, and 8:40 a.m. for elementary schools.

Classes for students will officially begin at 7:25 a.m. for high school, 8:15 a.m. for middle school and 9:05 a.m. for the elementary schools. Students will be dismissed at 2:15 p.m. at the high school, 2:55 p.m. at the middle school and 3:30 p.m. at elementary schools.