Image courtesy Pixabay
By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
During Monday’s USD 489 Board of Education meeting, Hays High Principal Shawn Henderson updated the board on the impact of the cell phone policy changes. This school year, the high school implemented a no-phone policy during the school day.
Henderson thanked the board for their support and said there are no plans to change the policy.
“The work is hard, but it’s worth the struggle,” Henderson said.
Since implementation, there have been 431 cell phone violations from 299 different students. If a student violates the policy, the teacher does not take the device. Instead, the student has to turn in their phone to the office themselves.
“We have interactions with lots of kids and if they continue violating the policy, we have interactions with their parents, which to me is great,” Henderson said. “Any partnership we can create with families is wonderful.”
“It’s going very well and I’m proud of our people, and I mean everyone, that includes the parent conversations, the students working with us, and all of our teachers,” Henderson said.
Henderson summarized responses from the teacher survey, indicating an increase in compliance throughout the year.
In response to the statement: “With the exception of the occasional reminder, students’ phones were completely out of sight from 8:05-3:15”, 38.6 percent of teachers agreed in August and September. That percentage increased to 50.9 percent when reflecting on October, November and December. Currently, 82.5 percent of teachers agree with that statement.
Teachers also agreed with statements regarding increased participation and engagement with peers and teachers compared to last year.
Students seem to understand that the policy is in their best interest, even if they do not like it.
“That’s fair,” Henderson said. “If you ask Shawn circa 1996, I might have a different opinion than Shawn standing here tonight.”
Board member Curt Vajnar asked if disciplinary action overall has gone down.
“It’s unbelievable,” Henderson said. “I don’t know how to say it other than to say the temperature of the school is so much lower when that’s not happening, and I don’t have a stat for that, I just have a feeling.”
Hays High is not alone in this decision and Henderson said the school is taking a proactive approach.
Cell phone usage in school has been a debated issue in the last several years. A Kansas House Bill 2421, which was prefiled for this legislative session, would prohibit the use of personal electronic communication devices during school hours. Texas HB1481, passed in 2025, banned the use of communication devices during the school day.
“That’ll (cell phone restriction) will be a talk in the State of Kansas, so I think we’re ahead of schedule,” Board Member Ruth Ruder said.
Other items from the meeting included:
- Election of Curt Vajnar as Board President and Ruth Ruder as Vice President
- The tabling of approval of updates to the HVAC Preventive Maintenance Service Agreement with Glassman Corp to add equipment at O’Loughlin, Roosevelt and Hays Middle School for $66,520 annually until next meeting
- Approval of a Student Support Specialist position at Felten Elementary starting with the 2026-27 SY
- Approval of the presented KASB recommended board policy changes
The next Board of Education meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on February 9 at the Rockwell Administration Center.
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