High school and middle school students in the Warren County R-III School District can start using their electronic devices in school beginning next year. An amendment made to the district's technology policy at the Jan. 12 school board meeting will allow students to use their electronic devices before school, during lunch, in between class periods or, if approved by a teacher, in the classroom. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith said the policy change is part of the district's movement toward embracing technology in the classroom. "We want to make ourselves available for 21st century learning," he said. Superintendent Dr. Tom Muzzey agrees with the change in the policy. "We're going to have more technology in the future, not less," he said. "Students will be able to use devices that they are familiar with and that they know the function of." Muzzey said by allowing students to use technology in the classroom, it will better prepare them for college and life after. He said the district's next step in expanding technology is to have a wireless Internet infrastructure. "That would lead us to allow students to bring in their own devices," he said. "When we're fully developed with our technology plan, a ninth-grader may get a computer for their birthday and they could then bring it in and use our Internet connection. This is a major improvement for these kids." Some board members, however, were speculative that the policy change may cause disciplinary repercussions. Board member Lisa Waltrip cast the lone dissenting vote. "Had the policy been written allowing students to use wireless devices before and after school and during lunch, I would have voted yes," she told The Record. "However, I feel as though allowing students to use devices, specifically phones between classes will increase tardiness, thus losing instructional time." Despite voting for the policy change, board members Teresa Scott and Scott Costello had similar concerns. "The concern I have is using phones between classes," Scott said. "The kids will be on the phone and won't want to get off to go to class. We'll have to look at tardiness I think. Costello asked Klinginsmith if the district's technology committee, which was responsible for developing the policy changes, felt there were any concerns with students taking advantage of using their electronic devices. "We can't just give them carte blanche," he said. "We're still saying in the policy that they're prohibited unless told otherwise?" Klinginsmith said the technology committee exhausted all possible student violations. "The idea is to embrace technology," he said. "We don't want to fight technology. If a student is asked to put their phone away at the request of the teacher and they refuse then that will go as a disciplinary violation." Klinginsmith noted that 11.4 percent of all high school disciplinary infractions in the first semester this school year involved an electronic device. He said that number should decrease with the policy change. Previously, the policy stated that if students' technology devices were seen or heard, they could be confiscated by teachers. That policy will be in place the remainder of the current school year.