LCHS board restricts student cellphone usage

[September 20, 2011]  Lincoln Community High School board members voted unanimously Monday night (with Mark Aughton absent) to restrict cellphone use in the school building from 7 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. Cellphones may be used outside the building before and after school.

Handbook committee chairwoman Marianne Krusz told the board several variables made it difficult to determine details. The committee' s recommendation was to eliminate cellphone use in the building at any time during school hours and the extended time frame before school, to cover early bird classes and students who arrive early for breakfast.

A copy of the policy is available for public comment in the LCHS office. A first reading of the official policy will take place at the Oct. 17 school board meeting; a second reading and inclusion into the student handbook will take place at the Nov. 21 board meeting. The public is invited to attend the meetings to express opinions and comments.

Parent Wayne Cox addressed the board concerning the cellphone policy. Cox said his daughter and son attend LCHS. He described a recent incident when he texted his daughter to verify his presence to pick her up at the front doors. Her phone was silenced but lit up when his message was received. The teacher gave her a warning about using her phone, even though it did not sound and she did not answer it. 

Cox asked about staff and administrators who text and use their phone for personal matters during the school day. Superintendent Robert Bagby said it should not be allowed and agreed adults in the school setting should set an example.

Students are currently allowed to use a phone in the assistant principal' s office to make phone calls during the day, and before or after school. Principal Todd Poelker said the phone would continue to be accessible to students.

There was a budget hearing prior to the board meeting, to allow comments and questions about the budget for LCHS District 404 and the LTEC program. The superintendent directed the board' s attention to the budget figures and said: "Even though we lost general state aid, and the payment from the state was prorated and reduced, you see before you a balanced budget in all funds."

Bagby asked to make his annual comment concerning funding and the budget. He said: "I think the state of Illinois does a disservice to the children of the state when we don' t find out what the EAV will be until April or May; our fiscal year begins July 1, which doesn' t give us much time to plan; and then we find out in August that we will lose $188,000." 

Bret Hitchings, LTEC director, told the board his budget was "break-even," but doable. He continues to pursue training programs for students to gain skills for employment after graduation, and to find instructors and locations for adult training in cosmetology through Heartland Community College. Hitchings said the Kiwanis were presenting Hayden Matson, a senior in building trades class, with the Student of the Month award and a $100 savings bond on Tuesday.

The board approved both budgets. Board president Jim Mammen thanked Bagby for "saving and finding money whenever you can."

The superintendent reported the Illinois Legislature has approved school boards to charge up to $250 for driver' s education instruction, but anything over the $50 minimum allowable fee must be submitted to the state in order to receive a waiver. Bagby suggested a $150 fee, which he said does not allow the program to break even, but covers most costs. The policy stating the proposed $150 fee will be available for public comment until a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 21, prior to the regular board meeting.

Principal Todd Poelker reported the success of a recent school evacuation drill, a safety protocol developed as part of the crisis management plan. It took 10 minutes for all students and staff to leave the building and be considered safe at off-site shelters, mostly at the Lincoln Rec Center. Agreements are in place with those sites to allow use of the facilities in the case of a real emergency.

He also reported that recent ACT scores were the highest in five years, even though the school did not meet what is called AYP, or Adequate Yearly Progress, a yardstick of score results required by the Bush administration' s No Child Left Behind law. The high school scores did, however, exceed the state' s college readiness scores. 

Rhonda Hyde, assistant principal, reported the sixth-day enrollment: freshmen, 263; sophomores, 218; juniors, 185; and seniors, 198, for a total of 864 students. Five new students enrolled Monday morning. 

Reatha Owen, technology committee chairwoman, presented information on the cost savings and feasibility of using e-books instead of hard-bound textbooks, and the purchase of eight ActivBoards, interactive whiteboards from Promethean, one for each department, using $17,929 from a Woods Foundation grant. The remaining $2,071 will be used to purchase software and additional technology for professional development for staff. The proposal received board approval.

Consent agenda items were approved: employment of assistant football coach, assistant soccer coach, senior class co-sponsor, boys swim coach, part-time custodian, one special education aide, assistant wrestling coach, co-sponsor for basketball cheerleading; resignation of head bookkeeper; application for recognition of public school for 2011-2012; requests to attend National FFA Conference and for FBLA members to attend the National Leadership Conference; request by marching band to attend Band of America competition in St. Louis on Oct. 14. The band will compete and then return to Lincoln for its performance at Senior Night at the home football game.

The next regular meeting of the LCHS District 404 board will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 17 in the Instructional Media Center.  

[By MARLA BLAIR]