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The Montoursville Area School Board at its recent meeting took steps to restrict cell phone use by students.
School directors approved a quote of $40,245 from Yondr Inc., Los Angeles for the purchase of phone pouches.
The board at a previous meeting discussed how cell phone usage by students is often a major distraction to education in the classroom.
District Superintendent Dan Taormina said he has talked to parents of students who like the idea of requiring pouches for phones, although he noted there could be some "pushback" from others.
"I like the pouch idea," he said.
The district will likely use grant money to purchase the pouches.
School directors noted that other districts have taken different steps to address cell phone usage.
The Mifflinburg School District recently approved a ban on cell phones.
Some states have even gone as far as prohibiting them in schools.
The pouches possessed by students are used to lock away their phones.
Only when students leave school for the day are they able to unlock the pouch by pressing it against a device, likely near a building exit.
Some board members said there may well initially be issues enforcing the policy for pouches.
"The benefits far outweigh the struggles we are going to have at the beginning," Taormina said.
In other matters, the board approved the daily wage rate for substitute teachers at $125, an increase from $110.
Taormina said that still leaves the district with one of the lowest rates for substitutes in Lycoming County.
He noted the district struggles with finding substitutes.
"It's a problem," he said.
In addition, substitute support staff personnel and substitute nurse aides were approved for $15 per hour.
In personnel matters, the board approved Jamie DiPalo and Lynette Clements as special education teachers for the 2024-2025 school year and Alexandra Klepper and Beth Schneider as paraprofessionals. All are filling vacancies.
The resignations of Alycia Rooney, special education teacher; Corey Twigg, elementary teacher; and Cody Pavlick, assistant track & field coach, were approved.
The board approved Beatriz Reyes and Sara Conrad as long-term substitute teachers.
The agreement between the district and the borough of Montoursville for a school resource officer was approved.
The board received a request to approve Odyssey of the Minds as a school activity for students.
The next board meeting is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27.