The Mounds View School Board on Feb. 6 discussed changes to policy review procedures and introduced a draft student cell-phone possession and use policy required by the state legislature.

The draft policy, listed as EG 3.116, and proposed revisions to existing policies BG0303 and EG3115 were presented by Vice Chair Heidi Danielson and Superintendent Chris Lennox. Lennox said staff collected community feedback through surveys and meetings that informed the draft.

The board described the outreach as substantial: more than 3,000 survey responses and two community meetings with more than 200 participants provided the input that district staff and a district advisory committee used to shape the policy. Lennox said the advisory committee included students, staff and administrators and met multiple times before making recommendations to the board.

Under the proposed process change to BG0303, policies would receive one reading at a work session and one reading at a regular board meeting before adoption or deletion, instead of two readings at general board meetings. The revision to EG3115 — the district's electronic technology acceptable-use and safety policy — would add a cross-reference to the new cell-phone policy.

Lennox told the board the draft cell-phone policy is “very similar to what we were currently doing”: no access for elementary students during the school day and limited access for secondary students outside instructional time. Board members said the draft implements the state requirement while reflecting local stakeholder preferences.

No final vote was taken on Feb. 6. The board scheduled a second and final reading of EG 3.116 and the related policy revisions for its March meeting.

Why it matters: The state legislature has required school districts to adopt a specific cell-phone policy, and the board’s choice will determine how devices are managed in classrooms and common spaces across the district. The policy also affects staff enforcement procedures and cross-references the district’s broader technology use rules.

What comes next: The board will return in March for a final reading and vote on EG 3.116 and the proposed amendments to BG0303 and EG3115.