By BARBARA GREEN
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Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District spent more than three hours debating changes in the student handbook and new discipline matrix as they met Monday night.
Handbook policies
With school about to start, the district wanted to wrap up all of the addendums to the student and campus handbooks, as well as the employee handbooks.
Many of the changes related to updating any legalities stemming from changes in the law, but the board also addressed some topics that are often ongoing problems.
Student use of cell phones – After previous discussion, several trustees questioned why the policy did not clearly state no use is allowed during the instructional day, when that was the board directive.
Trustee Kent Dosch asked why each campus policy reads so differently, which could lead to various interpretations.
Assistant Superintendent Lee Ann Farris said each student group on each campus is different and they felt the word had fulfilled that. There have been recent incidents where phones were used to take inappropriate photos or video, and they want to eliminate those opportunities.
In one line of the policy a student was allowed to use the phone for a class related activity, however, it was pointed out they have laptops and computers from which they can work, so a phone is not needed.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.