Some employees of the Gering Public Schools who carry school-issued cellular phones may not be carrying the devices in the future.

Members of the GPS Board of Education discussed the issue during their regular meeting on Monday after Superintendent Don Hague requested feedback for a presentation he plans to make to the board at a later date.

Hague said because the school district receives an E-rate discount on a considerable portion of its telecommunications expenses, the employees who carry the phones must use them only for school-related purposes.

E-rate discounts are provided through a Federal Communications Commission program created to ensure that most schools and libraries have affordable telecommunication service and Internet access. Created in 1996, the E-rate fund provides deep discounts but also has strict requirements, including only using the cell phone or Internet access for school-related purposes.

Hague said he is concerned that any personal use of school-issued cell phones may invalidate the E-rate discount. He said he is gathering information including a list of school personnel who are currently carrying the cellular phones and the overall cost to the school district.

The board discussed the possibility of paying a stipend to employees who use their personal cell phones for school-related calls, with several board members stating that most employees have personal cell phones. They also discussed the possibility of only providing cell phones to a limited number of employees.

“I think every principal needs to have a cell phone,” board member B.J. Peters said. “I think they need them because there’s times we need to get hold of these people for student issues.”

Hague said he plans to gather the information and present his findings to the GPS business committee next month for consideration.