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Hammonton Town School District board meeting, Jul 9, 2026

21 min · 4 public speakers

Phones in school ▶ 8:03

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 21 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

School board approves motion on student internet-enabled devices policy 15:59

  • John Lyons said the board was conducting a first reading of draft Policy 5516, Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices, which speaks to a bell-to-bell prohibition on cell phone use at school, K-12, during instructional time. 8:03
  • John Lyons said final adoption was planned for the board's August meeting on August 13th. 11:23
  • Motions carried on several agenda items. 12:54
  • During the second public comment period, newly hired teachers introduced themselves to the board. 17:01
Item by item (10)
  1. Opening and roll call 2:56
    • John Lyons read the open public meetings statement, saying notice of the meeting had been posted on the district's website. 2:56
    • Roll call was taken, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 3:37
  2. Summer programs report 4:30
    • John Lyons said there were no presentations that evening. 4:30
    • A speaker reported that extended school year and summer programs were under way and that the high school and middle school had completed their summer credit completion program. 4:42
    • The speaker said teachers, supervisors and administrators were rewriting curriculum and working on master schedules for the upcoming school year. 5:24
  3. Board member comments 6:02
    • Most speakers called on during board member comments said they had no report. ~6:08
    • One speaker recognized graduates entering the military and invited new hires in the audience to introduce themselves. 6:18
  4. Student device policy overview 8:03
    • John Lyons said the draft policy is a derivative of the governor's executive order passed about a year ago that banned cell phone use in public schools during the educational day. 8:03
    • John Lyons said the board and administration could determine exceptions such as field trips, the school bus and after the school day, and that the state could withhold funding if the district did not implement the ban. 9:32
    • A speaker said the school received the policy 2 days ago, and John Lyons said principals and the administrator would work through it and bring it to the board. 11:03
  5. First public comment period 11:23
    • John Lyons said policy final adoption would come at the August 13th meeting so information could reach parents, students and staff before school starts. 11:23
    • John Lyons closed the first public comment period after no one came forward. 11:23
  6. Published agenda items 11:23
    • The board took motions on finance items 1 through 28, personnel items 29 through 51, and program, students and miscellaneous items 52 through 60. 11:23
    • Each motion carried. ~12:54
  7. Addendum items 14:19
    • The board took motions on addendum finance items 61 through 65 and personnel items 66 through 71. 14:19
    • John Lyons noted that the exhibit for item 66 is KK. 14:59
    • Both motions carried. ~14:49
  8. Student device policy motion 15:36
    • John Lyons read a motion to adopt Policy 5516, Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices, replacing the existing policy, and for the administration to develop regulations implementing it. 15:59
    • The motion carried. ~16:47
  9. Second public comment period 16:49
    • Several speakers who said they were newly hired teachers introduced themselves and described their backgrounds. 17:01
  10. Adjournment 20:20
    • John Lyons called for a motion to adjourn. 20:20
    • The meeting was adjourned. ~20:35

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Hammonton BOE Meeting: July 9, 2026”