Wake County Schools to discuss new cellphone policy on Tuesday; Distraction or no?

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Ahead of a policy committee meeting inside the Wake County Public Schools headquarters, students and parents are beginning to consider how they want the topic to be addressed.

"I didn't have a phone until I was 16. You don't need a phone at 11," said one mother who did not want to be identified. "I think it's a huge distraction. So that's why (my daughter) has a watch and then she leaves her iPad at home. You don't need a phone in school if you have those. Most teachers, they can communicate with us."

Tuesday's policy committee meeting will be an avenue for district staff to weigh the pros and cons of a district-wide policy and to adopt a more formal approach.

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Currently, schools have a degree of autonomy on how they police the use of wireless mobile devices, which include cell phones, on school campuses.

The district will consider how to draft a policy that addresses the differences among elementary, middle, and high schools while also giving reverence to school leadership who best understand their campuses.

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According to district-wide feedback, 81% of families and 85% of educators said that instructional time is lost because of cell phone use.

Additionally, 85% of families and 93% of educators cite cell phones as being a distraction in class.

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"It's never been like a really big distraction for me," said high school student Simon Planchart. He said teachers will often give warnings to students who have their phones out and if the offense is repeated then the phone is usually taken away.

Meanwhile, his mother, Carolyn Mattingly, is in favor of a policy that addresses what is most important, including allowing students to have their phones in the event of an emergency.

"I think having some systematic way of controlling use during the day, it's a good idea," said Mattingly.