B-H BOARD EYES PHONE POLICY FOR 26-27 YEAR

    The Britton-Hecla Board of Education spent much of its meeting Monday night discussing student cell phone use during the school day. Policy committee member Heather Landreth introduced a resolution that stated, “ The Britton Hecla School Board resolves to support the Superintendent and Administration in enforcing a policy of no cell phone use by students during the school day unless a written exception is in place.  Administration procedures will be effective January 1, 2026, with Board approved policy to be finalized for the 2026-27 school year.”
    Discussion followed, with Superintendent Steve Benson noting that staff opinions were “all over the board” during the past month. Some teachers favored moving quickly, while others preferred to slow down or continue current practices. “I am 100% behind trying to find ways to limit cell phones in school, but we need to do it right,” Benson said, adding that parents also held mixed views. 
    High School Principal Carrie James said she was comfortable with the district’s current approach but recognized that stronger policies may be inevitable. “We are on the brink of such policies being even more widespread, so technology will catch up with it,” she said. Board member Dan Tracy said he appreciated the flexibility of the resolution, noting the challenge would be changing the habits of both students and parents. Benson added that state lawmakers may eventually mandate restrictions, with at least one gubernatorial candidate calling for device-free schools. In the end, the board approved the resolution while agreeing to seek more input from staff and administrators before shaping a final policy.
    In other business, the board accepted the resignations of paraprofessional Autumn Barrett and Math Counts advisor Jennifer Boyko, approved the working agreement for Math Counts advisor Tom Shileny, approved a lane change for teacher Emily Hrabik, and hired Kristi Heinrich as business office assistant.
    Elementary Principal Kyla Richter reported the district has four more students enrolled than in April, though fluctuations are expected. James reported that 31 high school students are enrolled in 59 dual credit classes, with 14 students taking e-learning courses through Northern State University.
    In his report, Superintendent Benson said offers had been made to two new kitchen staff, filling existing vacancies. He also discussed the KSB policy book, which was adopted last year but requires updates to align with new legislation. The board directed the policy committee to review and recommend changes. Benson also updated the board on the Northeast Educational Services Cooperative, where an engineer is evaluating the cooperative’s building, formerly owned by the Hamlin School District, which is in disrepair. Because the city does not want to cover termination of plumbing, options under consideration include constructing a smaller office structure, and a feasibility study is underway.
    No executive session was held. The next school board meeting will be Monday, Oct. 13.