The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session Wednesday (Aug. 10th) in the High School Media Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m., among the items on their agenda, is discussion (following the action items), with regard to the District’s cell phone policy.

During their meeting July 13th, the Board discussed the possibility of adopting a blanket cell phone policy, which would cover all the district’s schools, not just the High School, Schuler and Washington Schools. Those facilities ban cell phone usage during the school day, anywhere in the buildings. The Atlantic Middle School currently has a separate policy in place, according to School Board member Jenny Williams. She says the Middle School allows cell phones on a student’s person but  must be turned off.

Williams said she preferred to have a policy that is consistent across the board. She said once students walk into the district’s buildings, their cell phones should be kept in their backpacks and not be used until the end of the day. She cited studies tying high cell phone use during the school day as a factor in lowering students’ GPA’s. School Board member Dr. Keith Swanson pointed to an article in the Wall Street Journal, that said a Rutgers’s University Professor is banning cell phones and all electronic devices in his classrooms this fall. Swanson said the studies he’s read prove that “People who take notes physically have a much better memory than those who just type them into an electronic device.” He added “And we are no longer teaching kids to write.”

Other discussion during the meeting will focus on the District’s facilities, and IASB legislative priorities. Action items on the agenda include a Resolution directing the sale of $5.89-million in School Infrastructure Sales, Services and Use Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2016. Action on the bond matter will be preceded by consideration of financing proposals opened and reviewed by Superintendent Mike Amstein, Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast and the Placement Agent.

Later, the Board will act on approving the resignations of Trace Petersen as Head Baseball Coach and Jared Merkel as Assistant Freshman Football Coach. Also, contracts or Letters of Assignment for: Terry Hinzman as Head 7th grade Boys Basketball Coach; Trace Petersen as Head 7th grade Girls Basketball Coach & 8th grade boys Track Coach; Gaylord Schelling as Asst. Junior Varsity Football Coach; Brandon Krause as Asst. Freshman Football Coach; Julia Gross as Asst. Cross-Country, Boys/Girls; Michelle McLaren as 8th grade Volleyball Coach, and Macie Silliman, as Head Middle School Cross Country Coach.