Mesa Council, MPS on Wednesday to discuss student safety, well-being at collaborative meeting

By Connor Van Ligten
Mail

The Mesa City Council and Mesa Public Schools Governing Board are set to discuss student safety and well-being at a collaborative session Wednesday.

The session takes place at 4:30 p.m. at the Ikeda Stage at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. on Sept. 17.

According to an MPS presentation, a focus of the discussion will be the revised cell phone policy at the district. Arizona House Bill 2484 requires all public and charter schools to create and implement policies limiting students’ access to cell phones and personal electronic devices during the school day.

The law mandates that schools will allow access to cell phones for emergencies, medical conditions and teacher-directed educational pruposes, while also restricting access to social media over school networks.

The presentation states that K-8 students are not allowed to use their phones in any situation during school hours and are only permitted to use them before or after school. High school students can use their devices before or after school, during lunch in designated areas and during passing periods.

On the subject of weapons detection, the presentation said no firearms were detected in the 2024-25 school year and zero so far in the current school year.

When asked for comment, Mesa Public Schools responded with: “Please watch tomorrow’s meeting to learn more. Thank you!”

MUSD — also known as Mesa Public Schools — is the largest public school district in Arizona and has six high schools, nine junior high schools, 55 elementary schools and 18 choice and success schools.