Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 185 Monday which bans “any portable wireless device” from classroom settings.

The new law is part of a national movement to ban cellphones in schools.

“I am not surprised,” said Shelbyville Central Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Vance after Wednesday night’s monthly school board meeting. “I think there are real issues with cell phones in schools. It’s gotten a lot of attention.

“Obviously, I support it because it’s the law and I think it’s a step in the right direction. I think it does give teachers some discretion if they do see the need to use them, they still have that professional judgment. I think it’s a step in a positive direction.”

The law takes effect at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Until then, school systems must adopt policies on how the law will be enforced.

“There are committees in the buildings where they work on handbook revisions,” said Vance of the SCS process for creating a new policy. “Next month, the principals or assistant principals will come in with their recommendations. And then the board will vote in May on those changes.”

Vance expects the first public discussion of this new law will come at the school board meeting on April 17.

“We, obviously, will be consistent with the law,” he said. “We will see what our schools come with in terms of other steps we make take too.”

Vance expects there to be resistance from parents not happy with the new law.

“I don’t know (how much resistance there will be). We will see,” he said. “I think there is a lot of support. Again, we have a law now to follow and that’s our job. We will start there and see where it goes.”

Wireless devices may still be used in the classroom setting if approved by a teacher to assist with classwork. In addition, wireless phones are allowed to manage health issues such as blood sugar monitoring.

The creation of the new law was supported by the Indiana State Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Indiana Schools Boards Association, and the Indiana Association of Schools Principals.

“I think cell phones have been a topic for discussion for many, many years,” said Vance. “I have been a school administrator now 26 years, especially in the last few years its picked up more. Even back when cell phones were really became something kids have, we’ve had some issues with them from time to time in every district I’ve been in.”

In school board business Wednesday:

• Discussion continued on the issuance of a $35 million bond for the school system to complete upgrades at all five school buildings. No formal decision on the bond process was made at the meeting.
• Approved the hiring of Jacob Shively as head baseball coach at Shelbyville High School. Royce Carlton recently resigned to accept a coaching position with the Miami Marlins. Shively was promoted to head coach with Kurt Corbin and Don Pollard serving as volunteer assistants and Nate Stonebreaker joining the coaching staff as freshman assistant and junior varsity head coach, replacing Shively.
• Also approved on the Personnel Report was the retirement of Shelbyville Middle School physical education instructor Pat Parks, effective at the end of the school year. Parks spent decades as a football coach in the Shelbyville school system and is the Shelbyville High School football program’s career wins leader as a head coach.

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