Bradley Co. schools revoke cell phone fines, disagree with confiscation duration

From Local 3 News: Bradley County School Board members have done away with hefty fines as a consequence of breaking cell phone policy, but not all are on board with other regulations. These concerns were all part of a special meeting that happened Tuesday night, after parents have been pushing back against the new regulations.

Cell phone policies are up for debate again as board members continue to argue over certain restrictions and the consequences of breaking them.

Bradley County Schools Board members unanimously agreed to do away with hefty fines that students were charged with if disobeying policy, but the issue of another consequence resurfaced during the special meeting.

"As a board member, I just don't like the idea of the 7-15 day confiscation,” says board member Josh Taylor, who serves the 4th district. “I understand why we're doing that–the need for it–but the event of the confiscation is what I'm still having an issue with."

"I'm with Mr. Taylor on that. I don't agree with that,” says board member Rachel Goins, representing the fifth district.

Current policy states that a student will first get a warning if caught with a device, but the second violation will result in confiscation.

Todd Shoemaker, Supervisor of Secondary Education at Bradley County Schools, says what's written in print might not be reality: there could be multiple warnings inside the classroom before it's brought outside of the classroom.

"We have students, where a teacher may say, 'hey, put your cell phone up,' and they put it up, then, 'hey, put your cell phone up,' and they put it up. This may go multiple times before it ever gets to the administrator,” Shoemaker says. “How many times do they go through that process, and it finally gets to the principal? We have to have something.”

Other board members argue that one warning is enough.

“I’m going to step out of my realm as a board member and step into my realm of a parent, and I have a kid that’s going to have to adhere to this policy,” says Amanda Lee, representing the 6th district. "What if this were a situation where it was something that could be jail time? You're getting a warning. The second time, it's much more severe,.”

For Lee, it comes down to discipline: students adapting to rules and learning the consequences when they're broken.

"We're trying to prepare kids for the future and following rules and regulations,” Lee says.

“It's life. I don't always like it. Do you think my kid likes the cell phone policy?"

She says she’s willing to do what she needs to ensure the support of school administrations and teachers.

“If they’re telling me this is a distraction, then I have to try to support them as best as I can,” she says.

The ongoing discussion led hundreds of parents to voice their opinion on the Bradley County School Facebook Page. The comments are mixed, but for now, the policy isn't changing.

The Bradley County Board of Education is holding its next meeting on Thursday, August 14, at 5:00pm.