The Washoe County School Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved the “Phone Away and Learn Today” pilot program, which will take effect in all Washoe County School District (WCSD) schools after winter break.

The pilot program is designed to address the issue of cellphones in classrooms, which have been associated with lost instructional time, behavioral issues and other challenges. The program includes two main components: educating students on self-management and healthy technology habits and banning the use of phones during class time.

School districts nationwide have implemented various strategies to address cellphone use in classrooms. In Carson City, phones are banned during the entire school day, including breaks, with students required to use locking pouches. Clark County schools have implemented a similar ban that applies only to class time, using unlocked signal-blocking pouches.

Washoe County trustees opted for a less restrictive approach. Under the pilot, students will be required to store their devices during class time, with specific storage methods left to individual teachers. Options include phone caddies, backpack hooks, cubbies and similar storage systems.

“This was born out of concern, out of love and out of wanting to see our students be as successful as they possibly can be.”

Elementary students will store phones in classroom cubbies or other designated containers, while middle and high school students will be required to keep their phones away from themselves during class time.

As part of the pilot program, students will receive lessons on self-management and healthy technology use.

Concerns and exceptions

School board President Beth Smith said that parents have raised concerns about students not having access to their phones during emergencies such as lockdowns. One suggestion was to ensure phone storage areas are not located near classroom entrances, as students and staff are instructed to stay away from doors during emergencies such as lockdowns and shootings.

Exceptions to the policy will be made for students who require phones for medical or disability-related reasons, provided they have an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan specifying the need to keep their phones on their person. Students will be allowed to use phones for classwork if approved by their teacher.

Some have voiced concerns about district-provided technology, such as laptops, being insufficient to meet students’ needs, particularly due to Wi-Fi issues. Deputy Superintendent Tiffany McMaster emphasized the importance of addressing these systemic issues.

“If our system is not being effective, we need to address that,” she said. “Sometimes we are so used to things not working that we create workarounds instead of fixing the root of the problem.”

Implementation

Leading up to and following winter break, students will receive information about the pilot program through announcements, ConnectEd messages, reminders from teachers and a campaign designed by students featuring posters, ads and public service messages.

McMaster said that the program is not a ban but a commitment to helping students develop lifelong healthy habits around technology use.

Trustee Colleen Westlake echoed the sentiment. “This was born out of concern, out of love and out of wanting to see our students be as successful as they possibly can be,” she said.

Smith described the initiative as a “tech education and management plan” for instructional time, stating, “This plan represents the autonomy our children need to learn as they become young adults.”

The pilot program was approved unanimously by the board.

Nonprofits recognized 

The trustees recognized three nonprofit organizations for their longstanding partnerships with the district. Trustee Diane Nicolet requested the item, noting these “silent champions” have made invaluable contributions.

The Assistance League of Reno-Sparks has been a district partner for nearly 50 years. Its contributions include $20,000 to offset athletic fees, over $60,000 in scholarships, $100,000 in teacher awards and clothing for over 100,000 students through its Operation School Bell program.

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada, another honoree, serves 155,000 individuals monthly, including children and seniors. The partnership has provided food pantries in schools and five family resource centers. During the pandemic, the organization served more than 600,000 meals to students.

The Education Alliance, which has partnered with WCSD for over 30 years, focuses on student health, wellness and addressing chronic absenteeism. It connects the community to schools through programs such as Partners in Education, Principal for a Day and the Teachers Warehouse.

“We cannot and do not want to do this alone,” Nicolet said. “We are stronger together.”

New tech contract 

The board approved a two-year, $11.2 million contract with Applications Software Technology Inc. for Enterprise Resource Planning software implementation, along with a $11.1 million, 10-year contract with Oracle for the software itself. The contracts aim to replace the district’s outdated BusinessPLUS system.

Chief Information Officer Chris Turner said the new system will improve efficiency by integrating processes such as payroll and onboarding, which currently require multiple programs and manual workarounds.

Board President Smith emphasized the importance of reclaiming professional time, saying, “Inefficient business practices are a waste of taxpayer dollars and a barrier to educating kids.”

The project is expected to take 15 months to implement, with additional support for three months after launch.

Other items

Trustees approved a $33 million contract with Martin Harris Construction LLC for the Getto Transportation Center Modernization Project. The project includes new office and maintenance facilities, a bus wash building and updated fueling stations.