By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Hays school board voted Monday night to approve revisions to school handbooks.

Among the revisions was a new requirement of all middle school students to keep cell phones locked in their lockers during school hours.

School officials said the use of social media during class time has become a significant problem.

Locks are being ordered so the students can keep their phones, other valuables and the school-issued iPads when they are not in use for classes secure.

Students will still be able to take phones with them on sporting and extra-curricular trips.

Lance Bickle, board president, noted members of the community told him a number of high school students are not using their lockers any more. He asked if any other options had been considered rather than ordering locks and requiring phones be locked in lockers.

Superintendent John Thissen said he was not aware of what other options had been considered in forming the policy. However, he said the issue had been discussed for one to two years before the current policy was formed and teachers had tried different strategies to deal with the problem.

Sarah Rankin, board member, has two children in middle school.

“The problem is rampant. It is really causing disruption in those 50-minute classes,” she said. “Even though kids were instructed not to bring devices or to have them out of sight, with social media there is so much temptation.

“Teachers can’t be watching ever student every second, and they shouldn’t need to. I think perhaps this is where it has evolved to. I just know there have been a lot of problems this year.”

In other business, the board:
• Heard a report on a concrete bid for the high school

• Approved a Crisis Management Plan

• Set the board retreat for July 17

• Approved a $330,000 transfer of funds from the general fund to the contingency reserve fund.