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Orange County schools to consider whether students may keep cellphones in pockets

School board scheduled to meet Tuesday evening to discuss changes

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Ahead of school starting next week in Orange County, school board members will come together Tuesday evening to discuss the code of conduct, including the final wording of things like the cellphone policy.

Parents will be allowed to weigh in at the public hearing.

Orange County School board member Karen Castor Dentel said the school board is set to finalize a new cellphone policy at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

The policy currently says students can have cellphones, but they must be silenced and concealed — and they can’t be used during the school day.

Dentel said they will vote on a new cellphone policy for the entire district.

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“We are going to require students to put their phones away when they come to school, either in their backpack or in a purse, and we’re still deciding whether to allow students to put it in a pocket,” Dentel said. “I prefer that they don’t have it in a pocket because it’s too accessible. They can feel it when it’s buzzing. It’s distracting.”

She said there’s also the topic of other wireless devices like smartwatches.

“There’s also the issue of a smartwatch, which I don’t find as distracting, so I don’t think we need to restrict the use of the watches,” Dentel said.

News 6 attended a workshop earlier this month where school board members discussed the topic.

“Pocket, to me, is an option for a student that doesn’t have a backpack,” Superintendent Dr Maria Vasquez said.

“It’s good to have it as an emergency or if they have to contact their parents, but I think it could be a distraction as well,” said parent Reyna Katsiros.

Shadreka Davis agreed and told News 6 that as a single mother, she likes the comfort of being able to communicate with her daughter in case of an emergency, but it shouldn’t be so accessible.

“Not in their pockets, but at least the bookbags. I don’t think she should have it on her because it’s also a distraction,” Davis said.

School board member Karen Castor Dentel said she’s heard from teachers who want a consistent cellphone policy. There will also be discussions about consequences for students who go against the cellphone policy.

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