Orange County School Board set to vote on proposed cell phone ban

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Public Schools could start the upcoming year with a new cell phone ban.

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The School Board plans to vote on the proposed policy change at their regular meeting Tuesday evening. It would prohibit students from pulling out their cell phones during the school day.

There are mixed emotions about the proposal from parents and teachers.

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Emily Langerholc falls under both categories as a teacher in Orange County with an eight-year-old in the district.

“I see how that can be beneficial,” Langerholc said. “But also, there may be a time when a student needs a cell phone.”

As a teacher, Langerholc would be one of many staff members partially responsible for enforcing a ban on cell phone use during the day, which she says would likely be a challenge.

“I think that the policy is going to be very difficult to enforce,” Langerholc said.

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The policy change says students can have a cell phone on school property, at after-school activities, and on school buses, but they need to be silenced and stowed away at all times.

Exceptions to the ban can only be made if a teacher allows phones for educational purposes.

In an earlier discussion about the policy change, one school board member said it all comes back to student safety, something they’ll take into consideration as they weigh their votes Tuesday evening.

“What’s happening with social media, with bullying, with the fights, almost all of them tie back to the cell phone,” Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Vasquez said.

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The Orange County School Board meeting started at 5 p.m. Tuesday with a final vote on the cell phone policy expected to be held.

Channel 9 Eyewitness News will be monitoring the meeting and will provide an update once the vote is held.

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