The Concordia R-2 Board of Education approved two policy changes that will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

The school board approved these changes during its August 13th meeting. The biggest policy change was a complete ban on mobile devices during instructional time. Superintendent Theresa Christian says this ban includes cell phones and smart watches.

Instructional time is from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. each day. These devices are not allowed at any time throughout the day, even at lunch or in between classes. The consequences for any violations of the policy include having the device confiscated, to lunch detention, to out of school suspension for repeat offenses. The district had to implement this policy after Governor Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 into law earlier this summer.

The other policy was to change the district’s eligibility guidelines to allow full-time students in a home school to participate in Concordia’s MSHSAA activities if they reside in the school district. Christian says board approved the updated eligibility requirements at the meeting as well.

Both policy changes were also included in the district’s handbook for the 2025-2026 school year.