MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Graduation season is approaching for USD 308, as district leaders also prepare to implement a new statewide law restricting student cell phone use during the school day.
Director of Communications Stacy Goss said several ceremonies are scheduled in May, including Hutchinson High School’s graduation on Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m., Midtown’s ceremony on Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m., and HMS-8’s event on Thursday, May 21.
All ceremonies will be livestreamed for families unable to attend in person.
“It’s a culminating experience of their entire childhood and education here in Hutchinson,” Superintendent Dawn Johnson said, noting the significance of graduation for students and families.
The district also recently celebrated eight student-athletes who signed to continue their careers at the collegiate level, highlighting both academic and extracurricular achievement.
At the same time, USD 308 is working through implementation details of a new Kansas law that prohibits student cell phone use during the school day. The law requires devices to be turned off, put away, and inaccessible from the first bell to the last.
Johnson said the district already had a policy limiting phone use in classrooms, but the new law expands those restrictions and shifts responsibility toward enforcement and parent communication.
“It’s no longer just a district policy — it’s the law,” Johnson said.
One of the key challenges will be defining what qualifies as “inaccessible.” District officials are considering options ranging from requiring students to leave phones at home to potential storage solutions, though some options could carry significant costs.
The law also leaves decisions about extracurricular activities — such as sporting events or bus travel — up to local school boards, meaning USD 308 will need to determine whether restrictions extend beyond the school day.
As the academic year winds down, district administrators are also preparing for the transition into summer and the ramp-up for the next school year, which begins shortly after the Fourth of July for many staff members.