Sign up for the free Missoula This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Missoula city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events. Sign up 11/14/2024“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected] informs school board discussion on student cell phone rules Missoula County Public Schools this week took the latest step in the district’s process to create a new district-wide smartphone policy, as trustees discussed the results of a parent, student and staff survey. Board trustees also questioned middle and high school principals about the enforcement of the current policy and building-level rules. The district’s current policy states that schools may regulate the use of devices while on school property, and use in the classroom is at the teacher’s discretion. A group of parents and teachers concerned about the effect of smartphones on students’ education largely spurred the effort to update the policy. Three high school principals told the board they directed teachers to use communal “caddies” where students store their phones in the classroom. Middle school principals said they generally require that students put their phones away for the day. The survey results and information from principals differed from anecdotes brought by board members and parents, who said smartphone restrictions are not strictly enforced in every classroom. The final survey question asked respondents’ preference for potential district policies, including general authorization for students to use devices with some exceptions; the current policy; allowing use in common areas during non-instructional times but not in the classroom; and a complete ban on devices while at school. The survey received 2,749 responses from parents of students in elementary, middle and high school, Superintendent Micah Hill said. Parents with students in more than one grade level could take it multiple times, he said. About 45% agreed that communicating with their child during the day is important, and 58% agreed it’s important for their child to have a device in case of an emergency. Hill said first responders have differing opinions on students using phones during an emergency, as a wave of cell phone activity could interfere with official communications and rumors could spread. About two-thirds of parents or more agreed that devices distract their students from learning, don’t have a positive impact on their education and have a negative impact on their social skills. A little more than 60% were in favor of stricter rules, while 34% supported the current policy. Of the 344 staff that responded to the survey, 180 worked in high schools, 74 in middle schools and 90 in elementary schools, Hill said. While about 95% answered that they follow the district policy, about 74% said staff in their building consistently enforce the policy. Hill said his “deductive reasoning says rule followers took this survey.” About 92% of the responding staff said they rarely or never allow device use in the classroom, and 45% said they consistently use a system, such as a communal caddy or a bucket, to store students’ phones. About 60% agreed that students can use devices responsibly during appropriate times. About a third of staff agreed that it’s important for students to be able to communicate with their parents or guardians, and more than half agreed students should have access to their phones for emergencies. “It’s hard to discern what’s being communicated there,” Hill said. Almost all of the responding staff members supported the current policy or something more strict, with about 30% favoring each option. Nearly all the 1,744 middle and high school students who responded to the survey agreed that they should have access to phones during the day in case of an emergency and to communicate with parents or guardians.Most students said they always or sometimes follow their school’s cell phone rules, while less than 5%, or 84 students, said they rarely or never follow the rules. While a small percentage, that number can add up to a lot of distractions in multiple classrooms throughout the day, Hill said. Far more students than parents or teachers agreed that devices don’t distract them from learning, have a positive impact on education and don’t negatively impact their social skills. About half of the students responding to the survey agreed the district should have some restrictions on smartphone use throughout the school day. Trustee Jeffery Avgeris said if the board feels there’s a problem with the current policy — allowing smartphone use in the classroom at teachers’ discretion — why doesn’t the district require central storage of phones in the classroom to take the responsibility out of teachers’ hands? Big Sky Principal Jennifer Courtney said the school started using caddies to store student phones before the COVID-19 pandemic and brought them back this year. The caddies are in the same location in each classroom for consistency and enforcement is going well, she said.  This is the second year Sentinel High School has used phone caddies, and compliance and enforcement have improved, Principal Stephanie Thennis said. “Last year seniors had a difficult time with a new rule their senior year,” she said. “The juniors don’t love it, but when freshmen start, they know it’s the rule.” At Meadow Hill Middle School, students are asked to turn phones off and put them away for the whole day, Principal Susan Bageant said. Staff have more strictly enforced the rule, which has gone pretty well, although they often catch students using them on their way to and from the restroom, she said. Trustee Koan Mercer said widespread enforcement restricting phones in the classroom has not been his children’s experience at Missoula schools. Big Sky High School administration is working with staff to improve compliance with phone restrictions, a change after encouraging technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic, Courtney said. “We’re taking time to ask teachers what is the purpose of technology and how are they using it in the classroom,” she said. “We’re asking students and staff to do something uncomfortable without training or resources.” Regulating students’ smartphone use is more nuanced at Willard Alternative High School, Principal Cameron Johnson said. Students come to the school needing a different approach, and many have accommodation plans, some of which allow music during non-instructional time, he said. Some students are “highly anxious” and constantly communicating with parents, therapists or other professionals, he said. Willard is generally leaning into the idea of educating students on how and when to use technology rather than banning it, Cameron said. If phones were totally banned, kids would likely leave school without the strategy to use their devices and “binge” on social media, he said. Parent Erika Peterman said her son told her about half the teachers enforce the cell phone rules. “It is enforced differently from classroom to classroom, which I think is problematic,” she said. “Just remove districation. It seems so simple to me.” Porter Hammitt, whose sons attend Hellgate High School, said they told him only one of their teachers requires students to put phones in the caddies. Hammitt said he understands it’s a difficult thing for teachers to enforce on top of their other duties, but an “away-for-the-day” policy would be more cut and dry. Hammitt said the Hellgate Elementary School District recently instituted a cell phone ban, with great results, according to a Missoulian article. The board will potentially hold another workshop on the survey and consider possible policy changes in the coming months. Public Notice The Missoula Consolidated Planning Board is holding a public hearing on the adoption of the draft Our Missoula 2045 Land Use Plan at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, in the Sophie Moise Room of the County Courthouse at 200 W. Broadway. After considering public comment, the board will make a recommendation to the city council on whether to reject, modify or adopt the plan and map. The Missoula City Council will hold a public hearing on the plan at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9. Residents can review and comment on the draft online. 5 Things to Know in Missoula Efforts to restore a long-distance rail route through southern Montana are moving forward, Dave Strohmaier, Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority chairman, told the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council during a joint meeting on Wednesday. This summer, the rail authority hired a team of consultants and engineers to create a detailed scope of work for the service development plan, according to its website. It will likely take at least two to three years of engineering, planning and environmental review to get a shovel-ready project, Strohmaier said. The authority is aiming for two-times daily service, allowing Montanans to travel within the state and back home on the same day, he said. Although the upcoming change in federal administration creates some unknowns for the project, it is one that transcends political boundaries, Strohmaier said. On Thursday, the Missoula County commissioners approved a Targeted Economic Development District at Grant Creek Crossing after three public hearings. The TEDD would allow the collection of tax increment revenue to help pay for infrastructure on the 84-acre site south of I-90 and west of Reserve Street. As improvements are made in the district and property taxes go up, the difference in tax revenue is collected in a fund for further investment in the district. The TEDD excludes some mills levied by Missoula Rural Fire District and Hellgate Elementary School District to alleviate concerns from the districts that the tax increment financing district would hold their tax revenue steady while costs increase. The Western Montana Community Center is holding a vigil at 6 p.m. Wednesday for Transgender Day of Remembrance at 500 N. Higgins Ave. The annual observance honors transgender people who lost their lives to violence. A community potluck will follow the program, and people are welcome to bring food or non-alcoholic drinks to share. Those wishing to attend virtually can email [email protected] for the Zoom link. Residents caring for a loved one with dementia are invited to a listening session held by Missoula Aging Services at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, at the Missoula Public Library and online via Zoom. Caregivers can share their needs and learn about the Missoula Aging Services’ respite service. The nonprofit received a grant from the Alzheimer’s Association to expand respite services across Missoula County, focusing on rural areas and the LGBTQ+ community. Missoula Aging Services will offer financial assistance and a sliding fee scale for caregivers and expand/adapt the program to meet public needs, according to a press release. Those interested are asked to register for the meeting online or by calling 406-728-7682.Christmas tree permits are available to purchase online and from Lolo National Forest offices. One tree can be harvested per $5 permit, and up to three permits can be purchased per person. Buying a permit online has a $2.50 transaction fee. Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass are eligible for a free permit, but the online transaction fee still applies. More information about where and how to cut a tree is available on the Forest Service’s website. By the Numbers The amount Missoula Electric Cooperative recently received from the U.S. Department of Energy to enhance its grid resilience against wildfire and severe storms. The grant is part of the Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks initiative, which will provide more than $145 million to enhance grid reliability in rural, high-risk regions across 16 central and western states.  “The need for this upgrade is significant,” said Mark Hayden, cooperative general manager, in a statement. “There are two primary threats to the resilience of our system in the Swan Valley. The first is the rise in wildfires throughout the northwest, which have the potential to wreak havoc on the co-op’s infrastructure. The second threat is the increased frequency, severity and unpredictability of storms.”The cooperative will use the money to bury 46 miles of power line in a high-risk area north of Seeley Lake. Design and permitting are in progress, and phased construction is planned for 2025 through 2028.  Might be Fun Missoula Valley Winter Market opens for the season on Saturday. The market, at the Southgate Mall next to Scheels, includes a variety of food and art vendors. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Dec. 28, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Jan. 4 to April 12. The second-annual Turkey Curling Fundraiser, part of the Can the Cats food drive competition, takes place on Saturday. The event at 6 p.m. at Glacier Ice Rink is put on by the Missoula PaddleHeads, Missoula Food Bank and the Missoula Curling Club. To participate, bring a $25 cash donation or $25 worth of non-perishable turkey dinner items. The first 25 people to pre-register will receive a $25 gift card to the PaddleHeads Post. The post School trustees discuss potential smartphone restrictions  appeared first on Montana Free Press.