Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Top Photo: At SEHS, cell phones are locked away during the school day in a special pouch. There are exceptions, such as students who need their phones to regulate diabetes, or for emergencies. (File Photo/Sarah Stephens EAN)
The Autauga County Board of Education met for a special meeting last Tuesday evening to hear from Principal of Stanhope Elmore High School Ewell Fuller about his school’s cell phone pouch policy. Essentially, SEHS has a no cell phone policy on campus.
Related Story: https://elmoreautauganews.com/2022/07/29/new-policy-this-year-at-sehs-no-cell-phone-usage-during-class-with-help-of-yondr-pouch/
The phones are put into magnetic lockable pouches as students come in the doors in the morning. They are locked by a magnet that is mounted on the wall. They are then unlocked as students leave at the end of the day.
The magnets are taken away from their set locations during the day and can only be unlocked with special permission from administrators. Usually this is in a case where a student doesn’t know the number they need to call. There are medical pouches for students that do use apps on their phones, for example some individuals that have diabetes help regulate with their phones. In this case, a Velcro pouch is given, where Fuller states the Velcro is immensely loud, on purpose.
Fuller said the atmosphere has improved greatly at SEHS since the implementation of the policy.
Disciplinary actions, fights and disturbances have been greatly reduced, he told the EAN.
When the prospect of no cell phones was originally introduced in 2022, it came with a great amount of frustration from students and parents, he admits. But over time the students, and parents, have learned it is now just routine, and the education environment is the better for it.
“The noise level goes way up but it’s a good noise. The students are actually talking to each other, they play uno during lunch. It’s the laughing and interaction that’s the good noise.”
SEHS was the first school in the entire southeast to jump on board this no cell phones policy and they are the only school within Elmore County to enact it so far.
Fuller said he has been contacted by school systems across the country, asking how the process has done for SEHS. “I tell them it has been fantastic, and I recommend them considering it as well.”
“What type of discipline do you want to deal with? Do you want to deal with child pornography distribution, and chasing after a cyber bully? Or do you want to deal with a, ‘you got a cell phone pass?’ or confiscating phones for not following the rules. That’s the reality in school nobody wants to talk about. Phones go up, something is going down. This is a game changer, and it’s hard to understand until you do it,” Fuller said.
Fuller confirmed that un-pouching at the end of the day takes less than eight minutes, and really doesn’t slow any part of the day down as students arrive in the morning or leave at the end of the day. Fuller confirmed that now, it’s just routine.
“The students are more focused, asking more questions in class because they’re paying attention. I get more interaction as far as the lesson is concerned instead of what they just saw on TikTok or them staring down at their laps,” SEHS math teacher Victoria Maddox said.
In other business, the board approved to move forward with a rental agreement with the Wetumpka Football Stadium for the Prattville High School varsity football team this fall while Stanley Jensen is under construction.
The rental agreement is a game-by-game agreement, Superintendent Lyman Woodfin confirmed. This game-by-game agreement is for the varsity football team only. Considerations are in place in case the construction finishes early.
On the consent agenda, the board approved numerous items that would be funded using the remaining ESSER funds that the district has to use as of September of this year.
“The projects that I’m meeting with architects right now range in scope from flooring replacements, painting projects, bathroom renovations, gym renovations, athletic facilities, and fine art improvements. My plan right now is to fix as many of these issues as possible with the federal and state money while we have that money available. So, when I’m looking at those needs, honestly, does this make the learning environment better? Is it a safety concern? Let’s start knocking them off as many as we possibly can. So, you’ll see some of those projects come to you here soon,” Woodfin said.
Various roofs and other structural projects are needed throughout the district and the purchase of new chrome books and their chargers were bought in 2020, Woodfin confirms.
“Off the top of my mind Prattville Primary School and Autaugaville School are the first two because if I remember right the field house in Autaugaville, their roof is very bad and needs to be replaced. Prattville Primary, that roof needs to be replaced before we think about any painting project. Obviously, you don’t want to replace the roof, and repaint, then have roof leaks and have to repaint again,” Woodfin said.
The board will meet for their regularly scheduled board meeting May 14th at 6 p.m. at 131 Washington Street Prattville
