Hatfield School Committee Adopts Cell Phone Ban for District Students

HATFIELD -- July 24, 2024, Hatfield School Committee votes 4-0 to ban student cell phones districtwide starting this fall. Chair Christy Boudreau led the Wednesday morning meeting, at which the committee adopted Policy JFBB governing cell phones and portable electronic devices on its third reading, with Vice Chairperson Catherine Englehardt and member Tania Menz both flagging the need for consistent enforcement as a precondition for the policy's success. The district secured lockable "Yonder pouches" through a grant at no taxpayer cost; pouches will be used at the secondary level and for grades four through six at the elementary school. The committee also unanimously approved a field hockey co-op with Hadley Public Schools and Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School to keep the Falcons' program viable, and voted 5-0 to open two additional sixth-grade school choice seats after a two-student family moved out of town mid-summer. Superintendent Connor Driscoll reported a projected ninth-grade class of just nine students at Smith Academy, down sharply from 18 the prior year, driven largely by departures to regional vocational schools.