Pembroke School Committee Opposes State-Wide Cell Phone Ban
Federal Grant Withholding May Cost Pembroke Schools $50K
PEMBROKE - July 8 - The Pembroke School Committee voted unanimously July 8 to direct Superintendent Erin Obey to draft a letter opposing proposed state legislation that would ban cell phones in classrooms from bell to bell.
Committee member Allison Glennon proposed the motion, arguing that cell phone policies should remain under local control rather than being mandated by the state.
"I personally believe this should be in local control and this isn't their, they should let us as the local school committees have this be our jurisdiction and our decision to what works best for our schools and the policies and handbooks," Glennon said during the July 8 meeting.
The committee expressed concerns about the scope of the proposed legislation, with Chair David Boyle questioning whether the ban would also apply to teachers. Committee members acknowledged they need more information about the specific details of the bill.
"I don't know if it includes teachers. I feel like that would be like a safety concern because certain schools use their cell phones for like emergency, like there's apps to check in and things like that," said committee member Katrina Delaney.
The superintendent will circulate the draft letter to committee members for review before sending it to the district's state senator and two state representatives.
In a separate matter, Obey informed the committee that the district faces a potential $50,000 shortfall in federal funding due to the withholding of certain grants by the federal government.
The affected grants include Title II-A, which provides approximately $40,000 annually for professional development opportunities, and Title IV-A, which contributes about $10,000 for curricular materials.
"Of the grants that are being withheld, Pembroke only gets two of them," Obey explained. "Not a huge amount of money, but at this time, obviously, if it was to be withheld for the entire fiscal year, we would have to come up with a plan to make up some of that funding."
The superintendent assured the committee that the funding loss would not prevent the district from starting school on time or paying staff. Other federal entitlement grants, including Title I-A, Title I-D, Perkins, McKinney-Vento, and IDEA, continue as planned with award letters arriving at expected allocation levels.
The committee also received updates on the district's strategic planning process with Teaching Learning Alliance. The six-month timeline includes developing surveys for families and recruiting 20 to 25 community members to participate in focus groups.
Obey outlined plans to bring a draft survey to the committee's first August meeting for review, with the goal of distributing it to families in early September. The strategic planning process aims to produce a dashboard by April and a complete plan by the end of the next school year.
During public comment, resident Don Bryant raised concerns about references to the Trevor Project in school committee deliberations, citing a recent Atlantic magazine article. He urged the committee to examine the evidence behind statements commonly made during discussions about LGBTQ+ student support.
The committee approved several student handbooks during the meeting, including elementary, middle school, high school, and athletic handbooks. Key changes include updated recess policies emphasizing the importance of outdoor time and clearer guidelines about weather-appropriate dress.
For elementary students, the committee added language stating that Pembroke Public Schools understands the importance and benefits of recess. The policy now includes expectations that students dress appropriately for weather conditions during outdoor recess.
The handbooks also clarify policies regarding e-bikes and non-motorized transportation, with consistent language across all grade levels prohibiting electric bikes and scooters on school property.
Regarding physical education exemptions, the committee discussed developing clearer guidelines for parent requests to excuse students from PE classes due to minor injuries. Obey will work with gym teachers and nurses to develop appropriate language for the district's health services webpage rather than including it directly in handbooks.
The committee received an update on ongoing contract negotiations with the Pembroke Teachers Association. Obey reported that comprehensive proposals from all union units are now on the table, allowing negotiations to focus on specific language and major issues including parental leave, cell phone policies, and wage increases.
"We are cautiously optimistic that we'll be very close to completion by the start of the school year," Obey said. "We do feel like we're moving in a positive direction now."
Additional meetings are scheduled for late July and two sessions in August to continue bargaining discussions.
The Vocational Planning Committee continues preparing for community information sessions about proposed vocational education programs. Plans include evening presentations at the community center and daytime sessions with senior groups in August.
Committee member Susan Bollinger serves as the primary liaison to the vocational planning committee, with Katrina Scarsciotti designated as an alternate to ensure continued representation during busy summer schedules.
The committee also discussed the recent Supreme Court decision in Mahmood v. Taylor and plans to seek legal opinions about potential policy changes. Obey indicated that more information and legal guidance should be available for discussion at the second August meeting.
The next school committee meetings are scheduled for Aug. 5 and Aug. 19, both at 6 p.m. The August 5 meeting will include a presentation from Teaching Learning Alliance about the strategic planning survey and a fiscal year close report.