Mississippi school district to hold cell phones for ransom

by Sandy Maple (Subscribe to Sandy Maple's posts) Oct 27th 2008 1:00PM

Categories: Just For Moms, Teens & tweens, Just For Dads, Health & Safety, In The News, Education, Gadgets & Tech

When officials in the Houston, Mississippi School District tell students to leave their cell phones at home, they mean it. The Houston Board of Education Trustees has drafted a new policy that prohibits students from having a cell phone on campus during school hours. If they are caught with one, the device will be confiscated and a note will be sent home to parents. In order to get the phone back, a $25 fee must be paid.

The new policy, which is scheduled to go into effect on November 17, replaces the current policy which allows students to bring cell phones to school but prohibits their use during school hours. One of the Board members who voted against the policy says he has questions about how students will be able to contact parents to pick them up following after-school activities or tutorials.

Board attorney James M. Hood says that from a legal standpoint, the ban is a good idea. His concern is with inappropriate use of phones on campus -- specifically, using the cell phone as a camera. "You are looking at liability issues with photographs taken that violate privacy and are published," Board attorney James M. Hood said. See the 15-year-old girl in at Licking Valley High School in Ohio for an example of that.

If I had a high-schooler in that district, I would not be happy with the new policy. I know that teens use cell phones mostly to communicate with their friends, but parents use them to communicate with their children. If kids are forced to leave the cell phone home each morning, parents will have no way of contacting them before or after school should they need or want to. I know we all managed before cell phones came along, but that connection gives a peace of mind that my parents never had and surely would have enjoyed.

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Comments (11)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

stephanie From Toronto 10-27-2008 @ 2:41PM

I think it's totally ridiculous that teens NEED a cellphone at school. If I needed to get a hold of my Mom I would use the handy dandy payphone at the school. If my Mom really needed to het a hold of me she would leave a message with the school secretary and that was maybe once in my entire time at highschool.

hall monitor 10-27-2008 @ 11:13PM

Nobody NEEDS their phones at school. Just like adults don't NEED their phones at work. But how many of us are guilty of keeping our cell phones by our side 24/7. Our culture needs to accept that cell phones aren't going anywhere. So rather than try to fight this battle, let's think of creative ways to adapt them into our school day.

Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org

c_rousseau05 10-27-2008 @ 3:42PM

I agree with the poster above. How many of us have gone through school with no cell phone? A lot of us and we're fine. There is a reason for pay phones, office phones and the like. I remember being asked to stay after school for events or for practices and having to ask the office if I could borrow their phone so I could call my mom and give her a time to pick me up. Even when I was in school cell phones were a no-no and if you were caught with one it would be taken and your parent would be called to come pick the phone up at their convenience. It also got you a half a day of detention.

I think they should change the rule of that school though so that the kids could carry a phone, but if caught with it on or using it during school/class hours THEN it would get taken and their parents fined the $25. That would probably keep the kids from using the phones during class and still allow parents the peace of mind that the child has a phone in case of emergency.

Kirstie 10-27-2008 @ 3:41PM

The issue is that there are rarely payphones IN schools any more. I remember using one in the sixth grade, before I had a cell phone and before my school got rid of it, which they did by the seventh grade (when I still didn't have a cell phone, by the way). We could only call a parent from the nurse's office if we needed to go home or in an extreme emergency from the main office. There are no pay phones at either middle school or at the high school in the district I went to. They're quickly becoming antiquated all over - it's difficult to find a working payphone in most places these days. Parents could leave messages at my high school, but as there were over 3000 students, it was always a distinct possibility you wouldn't actually get the message.

Amanda 10-27-2008 @ 4:39PM

I think the whole "I didn't have a cell phone so they shouldn't need a cell phone" argument is ridiculous. People didn't always have cars but you don't see us going back to wagon and horse days just because we don't NEED them. This is the twenty first century. Cell phones are just apart of everyones life now and it's stupid to try and ban kids from having something that can be important in day to day life.

LS 10-27-2008 @ 5:26PM

Agree on both counts... I've noticed a distinct absence of payphones EVERYWHERE. In fact, it was a point of interest when we saw a row of phone booths (remember those?) in the hospital over the summer - complete with phone books and working phones!

But schools don't have them, and when I worked in the school, the kids were discouraged from using the office phones... they were supposed to make pick-up arrangements, etc., during off-hours. I always thought that was a bit of nonsense, since often kids don't know if they're staying after until halfway through the day.

I like the idea of allowing kids to have the cellphones in school, as long as they're locked in their lockers. There is no reason for them to have them on during the day.

Jenni 10-27-2008 @ 11:12PM

Cell phones need to be put away at school. I understand the need for them in case of emergencies and such. I know that it would have been a lifesaver for my family growing up if we had them. We went to a private school 45 minutes away from home; it would have made things a lot better and a lot less stressful for pickups, carpools, etc...

That being said, they need to be put away. I require my employess to turn off their cell phones and keep them in their lockers during the day; I don't see why we can't expect the same from students. Sure, I have to occasional employee complain, but really, there isn't anything that can't wait until school or work is over. If there is an emergency, that's what the office phone is for. But emergencies are rare.

ninainindia 10-28-2008 @ 1:27AM

I don't see the problem, if your child really needs to call you after school than let her take the phone to school. She can keep it turned off the whole day in the bottom of her backpack and turn it on when she is off schoolgrounds.

Generally I don't see the need for children to have a phone.

rebecca Biernesser 10-28-2008 @ 8:59AM

They are l lucky that they are allowing the parents to pick up the phones. I know a district in the Memphis Area that if they take the phones you get them back at the end of the year. The issue is not having the actual phone, it's the texting and taking pictures. many students hide the phone and text each other during class. Pictures are being taking in place where camera's have no place being. The school board can't force students to keep phones in the lockers and even if they could, parents wouldn't help inforce it. It's a no win for the school. While they are trying to teach children and protect the children on it's grounds, parents don't make their children follow the rules sat be the school...they say it's against their child's rights. Well, I hate to bring this to everyone's attention, but CHILDREN do not rights. The have the pleasure of being allowed to do things. I wish more people would understand that...

Jamie 10-28-2008 @ 9:03AM

I am making an assumption here, but how many lockers or backpacks do you think will be searched?

They do need to be kept in a locker because cell phones are not just for calling Mom and Dad anymore, they are portable gaming systems, messaging centers, MP3 players, and cameras. What about that teen who sent a photo of herself using her cell phone to a teacher and friends that was inappropriate and got a lot of people in trouble. Then there was the teen who sent over 500 text messages in one day (who has time for homework). I imagine as long as the teenagers are not parading through the hallway sending text messages or playing video games or phoning a friend, then there phone will likely not be seen and confiscated.

Rob O. 10-29-2008 @ 9:45AM

No offense intended, but the argument that parents need a way to contact their kids before or after school just seems like a weak excuse to use the cell phone as an extended umbilical cord.

There is no NEED for children to have cell phones.

Cell phones rob kids of the opportunities to develop independence and learn how to reason and solve problems for themselves.

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