County Schools Go ‘Phone-Free’

Columbus County Schools will all be phone free spacees when classes start back next month.

The school board has approved a new policy requiring all students in grades 9-12 leave their telephones in “Yondr” pouches that keep phones locked through the school day. Children in grades K-8 must have their phones powered off and in bookbags, according to a social media post by the schools.

Provisions will be made for students who use their phones for medical purposes, such as blood sugar monitoring.

The policy is similar to ones adopted by other schools in the state.

The schools are also cracking down on unexcused absences this year. Missing instructional days has been a chronic problem since the pandemic, when schools were fully or partially closed for months due to COVID-19.

 “No more than five school days per semester will be excused based on parent notes,” the release said. “Future absences due to personal illness, injury or medical/dental appointments will require a healthcare practitioner’s statement to be excuse.” All students risk their athletic eligibility if they fail me male minimum attendance.

Elementary and middle school students may be referred for academic and/or attendance “interventions within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS),” the release said. Grade retention – being held back – will also be considered.

Junior and senior high school students will be determined as “chronically absent” if they miss more than ten percent of classes, whether excused, unexcused or suspended. In addition to the MTSS protocols, older students could be subject to “attendance based failure” of classes.