Board takes up a cell phone policy for a vote

What happened

At its Aug. 1, 2026 annual retreat the Portsmouth City School Board heard a presentation on a cell phone policy from the director of secondary school leadership, and the same retreat agenda listed a roll-call vote item titled 'Cell Phone Policy & Policy Updates'. The published agenda does not say what the policy allows or bans, and does not record the outcome of the vote.

Why it matters to families

A cell phone rule decides whether students can carry or use their phones during the school day, so it changes something families deal with every morning. The record shows the board putting the rule to a vote, not what the rule finally says, so parents should read the adopted policy before assuming what changes.

The evidence

The board's official BoardDocs meeting index lists, for the Aug. 1, 2026 retreat, item 7.2 'Cell Phone Policy, Dr. Jamel Gibson, Director of Secondary School Leadership' and consent-agenda item 8.5 '(Roll-Call Vote) Cell Phone Policy & Policy Updates'. The index carries item titles only; the underlying policy text is not published in it.

The source