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With the start of school in Minnesota fast-approaching families with kids enrolled in North Branch Area Public Schools District 138,  should be receiving notices about the new devices policy.  The new rules will be in effect at the start of this 2024-2025 year.

 The school board adopted the ban on cellphones, earbuds, watches and other electronic communications devices as part of the Internet Acceptable Use Policy over the summer. The push is on to inform district students and their parents of the fine points.  

Last week North Branch school board members, minus Adam Trampe, viewed a set of videos produced to explain the new policy to families with kids in elementary, middle and high school grades.  

The biggest “change” the Board was told— is probably in the middle school level, where pupils may have been used to using devices and this year will not have any access.  Middle school students can not use cellphones, earbuds, watches or any communications device,  even during lunch.  If they bring devices these will stay turned off in lockers.

Middle School administration offices will make contact with a student if there is a need to communicate.

Elementary aged students are encouraged to simply leave their cellphones, etc at home.   If devices are brought into the Sunrise Elementary building the student will turn them off and place them in their locker.  If you need to get hold of a pupil in grades K-5, call their building.

At the high school level, there will be “secure caddies” that will hold devices while class is in session.  

Cellphones are not allowed in locker rooms.  

Photos must not be produced with any personal devices unless the subject is in agreement.  High school-aged students will be allowed to access their devices during breaks in the school day schedule.

The school board expressed agreement with administration that the no-cellphone or devices policy is necessary   in response to social and academic developmental needs and for enhancing the learning environment.  Classroom management is made all that more difficult when there are distractions; such as device notifications sounding-off or earbuds competing with the day’s lesson.

School Board Chair Tim McMillan stressed “the why” behind the new policy.   Devices in school add to stress levels and affect concentration.  Restrictions or bans on devices is what’s appropriate for North Branch schools to enforce.  

Notices were scheduled to be sent out to families in the district August 14. 

The full Internet Acceptable Use Policy and violation sanctions,  is visible on-line at the isd138.org  website.

The Board also approved unanimously, a contract for 2023-2025 for buildings and grounds personnel/. The employees had ratified the terms prior to the Board action last week.  The contract is retroactive to July 1, 2023 and expires end of June 2025.  It includes wage increases at 95 cents per hour in the first year and $1 per hour the second.

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