Updated: 3-16

The proposed cell phone ban in Valdosta City schools has gone into effect.

Students are no longer permitted to have cell phones on campus.
Those who drive, are allowed to keep them in their cars.

The school board decided to change the policy because they say too much class time was being used to take phones away from students.

Some provisions will be made for students traveling with field trips and athletic events.

Below is the current disciplinary policy that will be in effect until the school board meets next week to make revisions.

Discipline Action: 1st Offense: Any student found in violation of this policy will have their device confiscated for three (3) weeks and
parent must come to the school and secure the device from the School Resource Officer (by appointment ONLY).

2nd Offense: Any student found in violation of this policy the second time will serve three (3) days In-School Suspension or three (3) days Out of School Suspension. Device will be confiscated for six (6) weeks, and parent must come to the school and secure the device from the School Resource Officer (by appointment ONLY).

3rd Offense: Any student found in violation of the policy the third (3rd) time will have their device confiscated and turned over to the School Resource Officer for the remainder of the school year, and parents must come to school to secure the device at the end of the school year, from the School Resource Officer (by appointment ONLY).

Any student who violates this policy three (3) times will be deemed a habitual offender. Habitual offenders of this policy will be suspended from school for 10 days.
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Ringing phones and twittering thumbs will soon be a thing of the past in Valdosta City Schools.

Thursday evening the system started calling parents to say their children won't be able to bring their cell phones to school starting next week.

The school board says it could improve the quality of their education.

Valdosta City Schools superintendent, Dr. Bill Cason said, "We know that there are more than 1,000 cell phones on that campus almost every day. So that creates 1,000 opportunities for there to be a problem that takes away instructional time or administrative time.

Teachers agree.

"It's kind of frustrating because we're trying to prepare them for their future, said Valdosta High School teacher Robert Jeffords. "It's a distraction for me, it's disruptive to the class and one student shouldn't have that power."

Currently students can have them on campus but turned off and out of sight the entire day.

If they're caught using an electronic, it's taken and added to the pile in the front office for a parent to pick up.

Students think this new measure is taking it too far.

"Sometimes I have to have a change in plans because of rides and things and wouldn't be able to call anybody or tell anybody after or in between classes," said VHS tenth grader Zac Welham.

Each class room and office has phones students will be able to use to call there parents. There will also be some provisions for certain field trips.

The new policy will go into effect early next week.