FILE:  JCDAE

Cf:  JD

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

The Beauregard Parish School Board is dedicated to providing a sound education to public school students.  The School Board recognizes that the use of cell phones and other electronic devices, with their rapidly developing technological advances which now include text messaging and photography, can impair the validity of classroom assessments, violate student privacy, hamper the efforts of administrators charged with maintaining a safe and productive school environment and seriously disrupt the educational process.

For these reasons, no student, unless authorized by the school principal or his/her designee, shall possess, use or operate any wired or wireless (capable of access through WiFi or so-called hotspots), and/or any other portable electronic device with communication or telecommunication capability, including but not limited to any facsimile system, radio paging service, mobile telephone service, intercom, electro-mechanical paging system in any elementary or secondary school building, or on the grounds thereof or in any school bus used to transport public school students.  Access to non-district content filtered Internet is strictly prohibited while on Beauregard Parish school campuses.  A violation of these provisions may be grounds for disciplinary action, including but not limited to, suspension from school.

Nothing shall prohibit the use and operation by any person, including students, of any electronic telecommunication device in the event of an emergency.   Emergency shall mean an actual or imminent threat to public health or safety which may result in loss of life, injury, or property damage.

Adopted:  June, 2004

Revised:  August, 2004

Revised:  June, 2011

Revised:  May 10, 2012

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:239, 17:416, 17:416.1

Attorney General’s Opinion No. 03-0351

Board minutes, 6-10-04, 8-12-04, 4-14-11, 5-10-12

Beauregard Parish School Board