Greater Egg Tackles Issue of Electronics Use in Schools

Laptops. Smart phones. IPads. IPods.

"These are tools of the 21st century," Oakcrest High School senior Lucy Chavez said as fellow senior Mary Furgione noted, "they're not (permitted for) use at Oakcrest."

Even though some students do use these devices, -- there were 240 referrals for portable device usage last year -- the Greater Egg Regional School District has a policy that prohibits students from using any portable devices during the school day. Students at Oakcrest want that changed and, on Monday, Dec. 19, presented their case to the Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District Board of Education.

"I think we are missing an opportunity by not utilizing these devices," Student Council Advisor Joe Costal said of the ban.

He said he believes that the district would see an improvement in behavior and academics. Furgione and Chavez said that there are students who feel the same way. Student Council is one group of students who feel the ban should be lifted.

They explained that it's important for students to be able to work with these devices; they would be expected to not only in their day-to-day, but also on the job site. Yet, the devices are not being utilized to prepare students for the future.

Chavez and Furgione said they did not expect the board to make a decision Monday night. However, if the board does approve it, the school would implement a pilot program from February to May of 2012.

The program would be monitored. Students and faculty would be surveyed during the time period, the girls said. During the four-month pilot, students would be able to use their cell phones, for example, during lunch and study hall.

But the pilot isn't without rules. The devices would have to be kept on silent mode and students would not be permitted to take pictures or record anything with their phones.

Costal said that the district could see a decline in referrals if the ban is lifted. In 2009, Mainland Regional had over 400 referrals due to students' use of cell phones, he said, noting that number dropped to seven when the school district lifted its ban.