FARMINGTON — At the June 23 Regional School Unit 9 board of directors meeting, members unanimously approved the second reading of the revised electronic devices policy, JICJ-R, following Superintendent Elkington’s decision to withdraw a proposed change to the reading timeline. Elkington was not present but issued a statement that was read during the meeting.

“The plan is for the board to go forward with the original plan of a second reading of policy JICJ Electronic Devices tonight,” the superintendent stated. “And so the board members involved with the discussions will be part of the final board decision before their terms end.” A public notice had also been posted to the Daily Bulldog to inform the community of the update.

Chair Dorothy Robinson confirmed the move, explaining that it ensures “the board members who have been part of the discussions and process can participate in the final decision before their terms conclude.”

During public comment, several speakers voiced support for the policy to limit student cell phone use.

Camille Blanchett, a parent of two recent Mt. Blue High School graduates, said her children managed their school day just fine without phones.

“During that pre-cell phone time, we were able to communicate as needed during the school day without any trouble. For anything that could not wait until they got home, we got in touch via email… For the rare occasion we had something time sensitive… we called the main office and they were always happy to relay the message,” she said. “Even after our kids got cell phones, we mostly stuck to these methods because they worked well and we didn’t want to encourage the notion that they needed to be reachable on their phone during the school day.”

She added, “As a community member and parent of recent graduates, I am in support of a phone-free school day. It is something I wish my kids could have experienced at Mt. Blue High School, and I am happy for future Mt. Blue High School students who will.”

A parent of Farmington shared his experience as a teacher. “In my class I have zero tolerance for cell phones. My students interact more,” he said. “Phones are a distraction from interacting with other people and academics. We want students to be present. I encourage you to reinforce the policy we have.”

Matt Allen, who taught for 17 years at Mt. Blue High School, said, “I support this change to lock down the cell phones during the day. My own kids had no cell phones until they went to college. Kids need to learn to interact with each other.”

Nicole Kellett, a professor at UMF and RSU 9 parent, echoed the support: “Students long for interaction. We can intervene to help and be useful for our students.” She referenced studies on school phone bans, noting, “The banning at other institutions showed a rise in academics… In mental health we see reduced bullying with those bans on cell phones and more anxiety with phone use. Bans have decreased anxiety and fewer fights and increased communication between each other.

She concluded, “The biggest impact [comes] when we have locking devices. We should act responsibly as educators.”

The board unanimously passed the updated JICJ-R policy, including student representatives. A provision on smartwatches was added before the vote. A parent and student information meeting on the policy is planned for July.