Message from The Superintendent 02/26/2024

Parents/Guardians, previously I provided you a note to make you aware of a video we would be showing
your students on the Dangers of Fentanyl. That has been accomplished.

PARENT/GUARDIAN NIGHT (This is intended for parents and guardians only)

The next step is hosting a Parent/Guardian Night at East and West High Schools. These are scheduled
for 19 March 2024. We will start at East High at 5 PM and shift to West High at 7 PM. The East High
event is intended for parents/guardians of East Ridge and Meadowview Middle Schools and East High
School; and the West High event is intended for parents/guardians of West View and Lincoln Heights
Middle Schools and West High School. These are also open to parents/guardians of 5 th grade students,
and if attending, please go to the appropriate high school for your school zone.

At the event, we will show the videos we showed your students plus a little more, discuss other
observations, actions and requests from the School District perspective, and Sheriff Mullins or his
representative will discuss the situation in our community. We will be joined by Ms Stephanie Hardy of
the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition, and others to provide educational materials and
answer questions.

I encourage you to attend and learn. I need your help and support. Please let your school know if you
plan to attend so we can ensure we have adequate copies of the educational materials available.

REVISED POLICY ON PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES

One of the next steps we intend to take in an effort to ensure our schools are and remain a safe learning
environment involves a change to the Hamblen County School Board Policy for Personal Communication
Devices. The revised proposed policy removes the ability of high school students to use personal
communication devices while at school with some exceptions. The intent is to have all personal
communication devices off and put away as students enter school and students will only be allowed to
turn them back on only after leaving the school.

Why am I proposing this policy revision? The use of these devices is degrading safety and impeding our
ability to create an education environment conducive to learning.

These devices are utilized in a myriad of nefarious acts. They are being used to arrange drug
transactions. They are being used to alert other students as we conduct locker and backpack searches
for drugs. They are being used to make false threats of mass violence, framing of other students for
expulsion, cheating, bullying, sharing of inappropriate photos, filming and sharing videos of fights, and
overall creating distractions in the classrooms.

In the last two weeks we have had a threat of mass violence by a student and sharing of that threat over
social media, we have had a fight triggered by a student taking a picture of someone between classes
and the ensuing fight being filmed by students and broadly shared, and we had underage students
filming a student in the shower and then sharing the video. I could share more from the last 2 weeks
but I think you get the point.

To give us the best chance to create a safe learning environment, I want the devices off during the
school day.

Some will say “they can do some of those things on their personal communication devices outside
school”. I agree. I can only impact what happens while the students are with us – the other times the
responsibility falls to you.

The proposed revised board policy went through first reading at the 12 March Board meeting and it
passed unanimously. It is scheduled for second reading at the 9 April School Board meeting. If
approved at that School Board meeting, we will immediately implement the new policy.

The link to the proposed revised policy is https://www.hcboe.net/6_312

If you have a comment or question, you can submit it to info@hcboe.net

Our mission is to educate all students so they can achieve their postsecondary and career goals. To do
that we need a safe learning environment.

I am asking for your help and support.

Very Respectfully
Arnie

Hamblen County Board of Education
Monitoring:
Review: Annually, in April

Descriptor Code: 6.312

Term: Use of Personal Communication Devices and Electronic Devices
Issued Date: 03/12/19
Rescinds: 6.312 Issued: 07/24/14

1 DEFINITION

2 Personal communication devices include, but are not limited to, wearable technology such as eyeglasses, rings, or watches that have the capability to record, live stream, or interact with wireless technology; cell phones; laptops; tablets; earbuds; and MP3 players.
5
6 MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS
7
8 Students who have a medical device that necessitates cellphone access during the school day, may
9 receive an exemption from this policy upon the development of an individual Healthcare Plan consistent with a physician’s orders. Such exceptions apply to medical needs only and does not allow cell phone use for other purposes. Applications for medical exemptions shall be made to the school administration, and individual Healthcare Plans and any exceptions from this policy must be approved by school administration.

14 RECORDING DEVICES

15 Whether on school buses or on school property, students are not permitted to use recording devices (photograph, audio, or video) without administrative approval. A student in violation of this policy is subject to the appropriate grade-level disciplinary action as outlined below.

18 SCHOOL BUSES

19 K-5 students may not possess personal communication devices during school bus transportation to and from school. A student in violation of this policy is subject to the appropriate grade-level disciplinary action as outlined below.

22 Grades 6-12 students in transit may use personal communication devices if the device is in silent mode or if earbuds are utilized. A student in violation of this policy is subject to the appropriate grade-level disciplinary action as outlined below.

25 ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL

26 Alternative school students in Grades 6-12 may not possess personal communication devices. A
27 student in violation of this policy is subject to the appropriate grade-level disciplinary action as outlined
28 below

1 GRADES K-8

2 Students in Grades K-5 may not possess personal communication devices. A student in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action as outlined below.

4 With the exception of alternative school, students in Grades 6-8 may possess personal communication devices while on school property; however, the device must be in the off mode and must be kept in a backpack, purse, or similar personal carry-all and may not be used during school hours. Students are not permitted to use communication devices during class time unless the teacher has received administrative approval. A student in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action as outlined below.

10 First Offense: Warning.
11 Student may pick up the device at the end of the day.

12 Second Offense: One (1) day of ALP (commonly termed in-school suspension).
13 Student may pick up the device at the end of the day.

14 Third Offense: A level on the assertive discipline plan, orientation to alternative school,
15 and three (3) day ALP placement.
16 Device shall be released to a parent.

17 Fourth Offense: Placement in alternative school for forty-five (45) days.
18 Parent may pick up the device at the home-base school.

19 GRADES 9-12

20 With the exception of alternative school, students in Grades 9-12 may possess personal communication devices while on school property; however, the device must be in the off mode and must be kept in a backpack, purse, or similar personal carry-all and may not be used during school hours. (Remove, class instruction or in hallways during class instruction time. Students will be permitted to use personal communication devices before class, during class changes, and during lunch). Students are not permitted to use the devices during class time unless the teacher has received administrative approval.
26 A student in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action as outlined below.

27 First Offense: Warning.
28 Parent may pick up the device at any time.
29 Student may pick up the device at 3:00 p.m. on the seventh (7th) school day.
30 The seven (7) days will begin the day following the date of the offense.

31 Second Offense: A level on the assertive discipline plan.
32 Parent may pick up the device by paying fifty dollars ($50) or by waiting until 3:00 p.m. on the seventh (7th) school day. The seven (7) days will begin
1 the day following the date of the offense.

2 Third Offense: A level on the assertive discipline plan and orientation to alternative school. Parent may pick up the device by paying one hundred dollars ($100) or by
4 waiting until 3:00 p.m. on the fourteenth (14th) school day. The fourteen 5 (14) days will begin the day following the date of the offense.

6 Fourth Offense: Placement in alternative school for forty-five (45) days.
7 Parent may pick up the device at the home-base school.

02/26/2024

Parents/Guardians, this post is a follow-up to some public comments I made last week and I want to ask for your help and support.

Our goal is to create a safe learning environment for all students. This is why we implemented the SRO program with the County, installed window tinting, installed bollards, installed Raptor check in and out systems at the middle schools and high schools, placed NARCAN at each school, and more. Each of our students are extremely important to us and we know how important your student is to you.

During last week’s School Board meeting, I made the Board and the Community aware we had 18 zero tolerance drug events in a 12-day period ending 9 Feb. I would like to say that was a small perturbance but the numbers continued to increase last week. These drugs put at risk the safe learning environment we are constantly striving to provide.

As a result of these events, we are embarking on a 90-day comprehensive push with some immediate steps all with an education and safety focus. I want to inform you of a few of the many steps we will be taking.

We will show a video on the dangers of Fentanyl to all middle and high school students. After reviewing the situations we have encountered, I don’t believe our students understand the dangers they face, and I want to educate them.

I requested law enforcement increase the number of searches conducted and asked principals to be ever vigilant of suspicious activities. We must catch those who wish to bring drugs into the schools so we eradicate this cancer from our schools and ensure we have a safe learning environment.

If you have questions, please reach out to your Principals.

Thanks

Arnie