Duxbury School Committee Tackles Field Trip Safety, Cell Phone Policy
Members express concerns over international travel protocols and effectiveness of phone restrictions
DUXBURY - May 21 - The Duxbury School Committee addresses growing concerns about student safety during international field trips and evaluates the effectiveness of the high school's cell phone policy during its May 21 meeting.
Committee members express reluctance to approve future field trips without more detailed safety protocols, particularly for international travel, following recent incidents.
"I'm not prepared to just rubber stamp any more field trips," says committee member Matt Gambino. "I want to be comfortable, and I'm sure people at home want to be comfortable, that those faculty members have a plan for that field trip to mitigate and guard against kids leaving, sneaking away, getting into trouble, and being really, really unsafe."
The committee discusses moving field trip approvals from the consent agenda to the regular agenda to allow for more thorough questioning about safety measures, chaperone arrangements, and educational value.
Superintendent Danielle Klingaman acknowledges the concerns and confirms the administration is reviewing current protocols.
"We are committed to reassessing our international travel handbook and all of our policies, procedures, and trainings that take place should you choose to approve future trips," Klingaman says. "We're as concerned as you all are in terms of liability and safety."
Klingaman notes the district is exploring ways to make international trips more accessible to all students through potential partnerships with the Partridge Fund, which might sponsor students who couldn't otherwise afford to participate.
"I personally would like to see more of a service component to our trips, an educational component, as opposed to we all know it's wonderful to experience other cultures," she adds.
Committee member Lauren Deacon suggests implementing more comprehensive training for students participating in international travel.
"When you are in a foreign country, your family can't always solve a problem for you," Deacon says. "Maybe a little bit more intentionality behind that as part of the commitment... almost like a training to take those trips."
The committee also reviews the high school's cell phone policy implemented this school year, which requires phones to be placed in classroom caddies during instruction.
Duxbury High School Principal Jen Cotton-Herman reports that 87% of faculty feel the policy has increased student engagement, though only 22% of students agree. The school has issued 78 conduct referrals for cell phone violations this year, representing about 13% of all conduct referrals.
"I think it's been positive in that way," Cotton-Herman says. "It's not like one and done, we made a rule and we don't see phones anymore. So we just have to continue to address it."
Several committee members express interest in strengthening the policy further, potentially implementing a bell-to-bell ban that would prohibit phone use during lunch and passing periods as well.
"I think there's still many, many parents who are getting text messages throughout the day," Deacon says. "We kind of tried it the soft way and that's fine... I'm struggling with whether it's really working."
Committee member Kathryn Marshall notes the committee may revisit the policy, acknowledging both the logistical challenges and potential benefits of a stricter approach.
"Research shows, I personally feel this way, that it is such a gift you give to your children and the teachers and the environment to remove the temptation," Marshall says.
Other significant items discussed at the meeting include:
- School improvement plans from all four schools, with data showing strong reading and math growth at elementary levels
- The high school's successful completion of its New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation visit
- Updates to the district's non-discrimination and sexual harassment policies
- The upcoming superintendent evaluation process
- Approval of school handbooks and code of conduct changes for the upcoming school year
- Discussion of developing measurable outcomes for the district's strategic plan
The committee plans to hold a workshop on June 18 to develop key performance indicators and measurable goals for the district's strategic plan.
"I think we have the wherewithal to do our homework and to figure out what we feel we want to be tracking and measuring," Gambino says. "We should come prepared to that meeting with ideas for how to do it."
The next regular school committee meeting is scheduled for June 5, when members will conduct Superintendent Klingaman's evaluation and review the results of the K-12 Insight survey.