DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The Decatur Public School Board of Education passed a vote that will institute a district-wide phone ban starting Aug. 12.

The Board voted on an amended policy, in which high school students are no longer allowed to take their phones out of their lockers during lunch periods. Now, all students must keep their phones in their lockers or another locked receptacle provided by the school. 

Dr Larry Gray, the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, said that administration will be releasing the new policy in the following days as well as having up-front conversations with students in order to make expectations clear. "We will be working with our young scholars to make sure they meet our expectation with the cell phone ban," said Dr. Gray. 

Disciplinary action will be taken based on the severity and frequency of what individual students do. After the first offense, a parent will be contacted. At the second offense, a parent will be contacted and the student will be given a written warning. The third offense will result in a disciplinary referral to the office.

After the fourth offense, students will be disciplined according to the Student Code of Conduct. If students become defiant or threaten staff, they can be suspended for up to three days, whether it be the first or the third offense. If parents or guardians become belligerent or threaten staff, they may be arrested or given a No Trespass Letter. 

Dr. Gray said that the new policy will be an adjustment, but that administration plans on collecting data on cell phone based infractions in order to evaluate if the new policy is beneficial or not. 

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