POLICY                                                                                   Descriptor Code:  JCDAF

 Use of Electronic Devices by Students                                  Date:  June 23, 2004

Senate Bill 29 amends Georgia Code Section 20-2-1183 authorizing local Boards of Education to establish a policy to permit or prohibit student possession of electronic devices in schools.  Policy JCDAF allows students in Fannin County schools to carry pagers and cell phones under strict provisions.

For purposes of this policy, the instructional day is defined as the time students arrive on school property until the time school is officially dismissed.

    Fannin County students will be permitted to carry pagers and cellular telephones in Fannin County Schools under the following conditions only:

   Cell phones and pagers are to be in the OFF position at all times during the instructional day. Cell phones and pagers must also be kept out of sight.During the instructional day, cell phones and pagers may be used, with administrative permission, for emergencies only. The use of cell phones while on school buses is strictly prohibited unless an emergency situation arises and students have permission from the bus driver.
   Any use of electronic devices during the instructional school day, including lunch, breaks, and change of classes, without permission of the administrative staff shall be considered a disciplinary violation. The first electronic device infraction shall result in the confiscation of the device. Once the device is confiscated it will only be returned to a parent or guardian. The second infraction shall result in confiscation of the device, a parent or guardian conference, and immediate termination of the right to carry a pager or cellular phone for the rest of the school year. Any violation of this policy may also, at the principal’s discretion, result in additional disciplinary action. Other disciplinary action may include work detention, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, or placement in Alternative School.   

Reference:  O.C.G.A.  20-2-1183                                                        Revised July 8, 2004

FANNIN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION