By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Escambia County education officials said this week that a Monday, September 16, Facebook posting by Escambia County Middle School (ECMS) Principal Layton Knight of a nine-item list of items banned from ECMS classrooms does not reflect a new set of rules. It is more an enforcing of the school system’s code of conduct.
“There’s nothing in here that violates the code of conduct,” said Assistant Superintendent of Education George Brown. “The things on that list are all covered in the code of conduct. (Knight) showed me the list and asked if he could put it out. I told him to just make sure it was in line with the code of conduct.
“Students were using these items in the classroom, the bathrooms, and other places,” Brown said. “There was a lot of other stuff going on, too, according to [Knight].”
Knight said teachers and other administrators have reported problems with students using hairspray, perfume, combs and other personal items while in class, and with students eating in class or while walking the halls.
“We want to get them focused more on education than on grooming,” Knight said. “Some of these items also create safety issues, and safety is paramount in our school.”
The ECMS principal pointed out enforcement of the prohibitions already in place is basically an extension of the cell phone policy recently enacted at all county schools. He added that he hopes the new prohibition will be as successful as has that policy.
“It’s sort of an extension of the cell phone policy, as far as disruptions in class,” Knight said. “In the six weeks since that went into effect, we’ve only had to confiscate 8 to 10 phones, and most of those were on the first day.”
A violation of the policy will result in the confiscation of the prohibited item, which will have to be recovered by one of the students’ parents or guardians.
“We just confiscate whatever it is,” Knight pointed out. “We’ll set a designated day and time for parents to come pick the items up. That way, we can take care of all of them at once.”
Not everyone is happy over the sudden enforcement. Andea Brown, the grandmother of two ECMS students, said she didn’t know anything about the prohibition until she was told while delivering the children to classes Tuesday morning (September 17).
“It’s pitiful that they have to do that,” Mrs. Brown said. “I didn’t know anything about it until just a few minutes ago, but it doesn’t sound good to me.”
The list of items banned from classes or otherwise restricted by enforcement of the code:
*Students may bring only unopened snacks for break in an effort to prevent eating in class or hallways.
Students may not bring the following items into the school:
*Blankets
*Headphones
*Personal grooming items (combs, perfume, gel, etc.)
*Crocs / slide shoes (No extra shoes at all)
*Extra clothes (including those that are not school uniform colors)
*Sunglasses
*Personal playing cards or games
“As I said, our code of conduct has never allowed most of these things,” Brown said. “But there are things Coach Knight has noticed that are causing problems at the middle school, and he felt this was a way of solving those problems.”