New cell phone policy on Fayette BOE May 6 agenda
The Fayette County Board of Education plans a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 6 at Oak Hill High School.
Among the agenda items is the first reading of a new cell phone policy that is being planned in response to state legislation signed into law earlier this week by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
On April 29, Morrisey was joined by students, legislators and supporters at Lincoln Middle School in Shinnston to sign House Bill 2003, which prohibits the use of personal electronic devices by students in elementary and high school classrooms. There are exceptions provided for in the legislation.
Also that day, Senate Bill 280, which requires public schools to display the United States motto 'In God We Trust,' was signed by the governor.
'As governor, one of my top priorities is to improve West Virginia's educational rankings,' Morrisey said in a press release. 'To do that, we must focus on academics and remove classroom distractions.'
HB 2003 empowers county boards of education to prohibit the use of personal electronic devices in classroom settings.
According to Fayette County Schools Superintendent Gary Hough, some Fayette schools have already implemented their own individual cell phone polices. 'We'd like to have some consistency,' he said.
County principals will discuss the situation in a meeting Monday, said Hough, who noted that each school classroom in Fayette County is equipped with a phone 'that reaches out to 911 immediately' in the event of an emergency.
Recognitions and reports on the Tuesday board agenda include:
• Mary Ann Freeman — Golden Horseshoe winners;
• Dawn Dooley — Young Writers;
• Dawn Dooley — Governor School Recipients 2025; and
• Sandra Whitaker — Regional and State Social Studies Fair winners.
The board is expected to take final action on several policy revisions recommended by Hough and also introduce first readings of other policies.
Among those set for final action are policies relating to employment of substitutes, suspension, teacher workload/supplemental duties, suicide prevention, graduation requirements and the schools and community agencies.
Before the board for first reading will be the cell phone policy and polices on fund accounting, travel payment and reimbursement and property inventory,
The agenda also includes a recommendation from Hough for a $190,520 purchase of Microsoft Surface computers from Zones LLC (state contract) to replace outdated teacher computers at Oak Hill and Midland Trail high schools and other schools as needed. Funding will be from Tools for Schools.
And, the board will act on Hough's recommendation to approve a request for out-of-state/overnight travel. The Fayette Institute of Technology HOSA students (approximately four students) are planning to attend the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tenn. on June 17-22. Chaperones will be FIT instructors Annette Ashley, Andrea Anderson, Brian Richmond and FIT Director Robert Keaton. Travel will be by charter bus. Funding will be from FIT funds.
Hough recommends approval of accounts payable in the amount of $1,203,846.28. A list of bills is available upon request from the central office.
There will also be personnel actions and other items of discussion.
Future meetings of the board include: Tuesday, May 13, special meeting/budget hearing, board office, 9 a.m.; and Thursday, May 22, regular meeting at Meadow Bridge High School, 6 p.m.
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