Behind the Policy

By kristine zheng | Opinions | sept. 30, 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA) — Prior to the beginning of each school year, the Stanton College Preparatory School administration holds meetings for the upcoming term. In these conversations, the school administration discusses potential policy adjustments to promote a more structured academic year. As procedures adjust to better fit the school, students evaluate the guidelines’ effectiveness and function.

School communities develop alongside society, and policies change to address the needs of those they affect. Such modifications can have a considerable effect on Stanton students and may create challenges in their routines. Policies revised this year have altered student behaviors concerning tardiness, personal technology use, and access to personal vehicles during school hours. While these revisions may seem unfavorable to students who were accustomed to these practices in prior school years, they are effective in keeping balance in the school community.

“Most policies come about in response to a problem that’s been happening at school or some issue [the administration] feels the need to address,” Assistant Principal Michael Baczynski said. “Some [come from] other mandates like the district or state level.” 

Policy shifts occur to address problems that teachers and faculty may have encountered throughout previous school years. To begin another school year, policy modifications are necessary to resolve ongoing concerns and improve the academic environment. With new technologies rapidly developing, it is the responsibility of educational leaders to implement stricter protocols that prevent new innovations from harming students’ learning. Additionally, when state education laws are passed, all schools must comply with the new measures, which may result in changes to existing school policies and student expectations.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the tardy policy has been modified so that a student who accumulates five tardies in one class receives a Class 1 referral. Teachers are instructed to immediately send students to Student Services once the bell rings where they will obtain their tardy. The tardy policy, along with the phone policy, is one of the various beneficial measures designed to help students who struggle with procrastination, getting to class on time, and completing work.

The phone holder policy, implemented in the 2024-2025 school year, is another prominent policy at Stanton. Before class starts, students are required to place their cellphones into a phone holder. With this enforcement, students can stay engaged rather than being distracted during instruction.

In previous years, Stanton implemented policies related to personal technology, such as allowing students to use cellphones and earbuds during lunchtime. Another policy, established last year, is the hall pass system, which requires students to sign out a log sheet and wear a specific hall pass designated for that classroom. Although students may find these changes unjust and redundant, these policies are intended to help them focus. To address these changes, the school administration holds student assemblies to justify why these adjustments are made.

“We think about it from a student, teacher, and staff perspective, because it affects everyone,” Assistant Principal Tamla Simmons said. “[With the phone policies], we had to be intentional when saying ‘This device is useful but can also distract me from my purpose.’”

Students may view these policies as unfair or unreasonable, but they help create an environment that supports students’ learning. As our school community evolves, it is essential to prevent complications from continuing and make policies that help build our student body better than it was before.