On Feb. 5, during all lunch blocks, State High hosted a school board work session where students had the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, and provide input to SCASD school board members and State High administrators about a variety of topics.
The work session focused on three topics of discussion: PA Phone Ban Legislation, School Culture and Community & PBIS Initiatives, and Student Voice.
PA Phone Ban Legislation
On Feb. 3, the PA Senate Bill 1014 passed the PA Senate and entered the PA House of Representatives. The bill intends to “require schools to adopt and implement a policy that prohibits the use of phones during the school day.” If the House of Representatives approves the bill, a “bell-to-bell” phone ban would be implemented in the 2027-2028 school year and require the SCASD school district to determine how to enforce the ban.
During the school board work session, students expressed concerns about the potential phone ban, citing the importance of phone use for quick communication in emergencies, educational purposes (such as a calculator), communication with parents/guardians, and learning healthy technology-use habits.
“In the case that there’s a school safety issue … I believe that a child’s access to talking to their parents for possibly the last time or telling them what’s going on at school is more important than any amount of education that you can get from removing phones,” senior Grace Liu, who attended the work session, said.
Listening to student input shaped school board member Jesse Barlow’s perspective on the phone ban.
“The discussion they’re having at the table about cell phones was really, really an eye-opener for me because I didn’t understand how you were all experiencing that,” Barlow said.
School Culture and Community (PBIS)
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive approach to behavior management at schools. It teaches clear behavioral expectations and provides both positive and corrective responses to student behavior.
During the work session, students shared that many did not understand the purpose of PBIS initiatives, including Pride Coins, nor their connection to school culture. It was suggested to use WSCH or other communication platforms to clarify the meaning behind PBIS.
Student Voice
Admin and school board members also asked for student feedback on how to formalize student rights and responsibilities.
“Do we need to create a bill of rights, in essence, for our students? [And] what would that look like?” State High principal Laura Tobias asked.
Students and adults discussed various topics of concern, including the right to assembly and the right to privacy.
The Gaggle security system was brought up concerning the right to privacy. In order to protect students, Gaggle flags certain keywords and sends an alert to Gaggle employees, who evaluate the alert for context. They then communicate with SCAHS administration, who determine the best response. But the line between safety and privacy was a point of contention.
Ultimately, the school board work session provided a unique opportunity for students to impact school board decisions.
To share their voices with the SCASD School Board, students can attend its next meeting on March 2, 7:00 pm at 240 Villa Crest Drive, State College, PA 16801, or email the board at [email protected]. More information about the school board is available here.
