School phone ban, Title IX changes and budget cuts on Wake schools agenda this week
Wake County school leaders will discuss Tuesday new rules on student use of cellphones, how to apply Trump administration Title IX changes and the impact of $18.7 million in proposed budget cuts.
The Wake County school board’s policy committee is scheduled to consider a draft student cellphone policy and revisions to the district’s anti-discrimination policy. The board’s budget and finance committee will also get details on how proposed budget cuts will impact the wallets and livelihoods of employees and schools.
Here’s a look at how all three issues could impact students and families in Wake.
Bell-to-bell phone ban for K-8 students
Wake County could bar elementary and middle school students from using their phones during the school day with a little more freedom given to high school students.
The draft Student Personal Use of Wireless Communications Devices policy allows students to have phones at school. But they’d be required to be turned off/silenced/in airplane mode and not displayed during school hours except when:
▪ Use of the phone is specifically authorized or required by a student’s individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan or by the individualized health plan (IHP) developed by the school nurse. This exception applies to some students with disabilities or special healthcare needs.
▪ The principal allows teachers to authorize wireless communication devices to be used during class provided that the teacher can supervise student use. This section is meant to apply more to laptop computers and tablets rather than phones.
▪ The student needs to use the device to communicate with parents/guardians or emergency service personnel in the event of a sudden emergency. This exception was added after the majority of parent, student and teacher surveys cited the desire to allow phones in case of an emergency.
The policy says phone use would generally be allowed on school buses. But the policy would create a “bell to bell” ban on phone use during school hours for K-8 students.
More phone freedom for high school students
The draft policy has an exception to the phone ban that only applies to high school students. It says high schools could allow phones to be used during specified non-instructional times during the school day, such as class transitions, lunch and breaks.
The new policy comes amid concerns that phone use is distracting students in class and leading to problems such as cyberbullying.
The state Senate recently passed legislation requiring public schools to develop student phone policies. The state House could approve its own legislation this week.
Wake’s draft timeline has the policy committee discussing the phone policy on Tuesday. It would go through more work sessions and committee discussions before the full board holds its first vote on May 6.
Keeping gender identity in Wake policy
The updated anti-bullying policy represents Wake’s attempt to follow new Trump administration Title IX rules while still addressing concerns about protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ students and staff.
Last summer, the school board adopted Biden administration Title IX rule changes that banned discrimination based on gender identity in educational programs receiving federal funding. But the Trump administration rescinded the Biden Title IX rules and has threatened to withhold federal funding to schools that “indoctrinate” students with “gender ideology” and “discriminatory equity ideology.”
Wake school leaders said they were reviewing their policies based on the Trump Title IX changes.
Based on the advice of board attorneys, the policy committee will consider Tuesday replacing references in its anti-discrimination policy to “sex-based harassment” and “sexual discrimination” with the words “sexual harassment.”
The revised policy deletes a pair of sentences describing discrimination on the basis of sex and sex-based harassment that included examples such as sexual orientation and gender identity.
But the updated policy still mentions sexual orientation and gender identity multiple times, including saying “the Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of ... sexual orientation, transgender or gender identity.”
The policy also keeps the sentences listing sexual orientation, transgender or gender identity as examples that you’re not allowed to discriminate against, harass or bully someone on.
School employees could see higher dental costs, job cuts
Last week, school administrators released a list of $18.7 million in budget cuts that they called “strategic repurposing.” It’s part of a budget proposal from Superintendent Robert Taylor that asks the Wake County Board of Commissioners for a $40.3 million increase in local funding this year.
Administrators will explain Tuesday to the school board’s budget and finance committee what those cuts entail, including:
▪ School employees would pay $28 more a month, or $336 annually, if the district removed employer contributions for dental insurance starting January 2026. It would save Wake $2.5 million.
▪ Wake would save $3.7 million by removing the full-time position in each school provided to pay for a teacher to serve as a building substitute. Wake will try to find new teaching jobs in the district for these people.
▪ Wake would save $2.7 million by removing one secretarial position at each high school and revising how many clerical positions are provided to middle and high schools. Wake will try to help find these people other jobs in the district.
▪ Wake would save $1.6 million by reducing the number of school counselor and social worker positions by 20. Wake will remove positions when they become vacant.
▪ Wake would save $727,000 by changing the formula for funding assistant principals at high schools. It would impact nine high schools.
The board will decide whether to include the budget cuts in the plan it sends to county commissioners.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 12:52 PM with the headline "School phone ban, Title IX changes and budget cuts on Wake schools agenda this week."
