Banning cell phones, smart devices in classrooms will aid student learning

The Holton school board is reviewing a proposed new policy for all students in the district regarding the use of cell phones and other smart devices. The new policy proposal, designed by school administrators, was presented at the school board meeting here recently.

The new proposed policy should be approved and everyone in the school district should support it. Common sense tells us that if students are not distracted, then they can better focus on their school work.

If approved and implemented, the new policy would be among the strictest in the Big East League, it was reported, and would demonstrate the importance the district wants to place on student learning and student mental health.

The proposed policy would apply to all personal cell phones and smart devices. It would not apply to school-issued electronic devices, such as iPads, that are part of the Holton USD 336 one-to-one initiative. The use of these school-issued devices is always at the discretion of the classroom teacher and is for educational purposes only.

The purpose of this proposed policy is to create an optimal learning environment free from the distractions of personal electronic devices.

By minimizing the presence of cell phones and smart devices during instructional time, the aim is to enhance student focus, promote direct social interaction and foster a safer, more productive educational setting for all students and staff.

According to the new policy proposed, all students will be required to turn in their personal cell phones and smart devices to their designated locations (as determined and communicated to the students by their building administrator) at the beginning of each school day. 

Devices will be securely stored and will be returned to the students at the conclusion of the school day. The use of these devices for any purpose during school hours, including passing periods, lunch and recess, will be strictly prohibited.

Upon arrival at their designated location, students will place their powered-off or silenced device(s) into a secure storage container. Students with a pre-approved early dismissal for an appointment may leave their device(s) at the main office for collection, but must notify their designated teacher of this arrangement.

Students arriving after the start of the school day must turn in their device(s) at the main office. The device(s) will be held there for the day and must be retrieved from the office at the end of the day.

The designated teacher is responsible for ensuring all devices are stored in a locked and secure location for the duration of the school day. At the final bell, designated teachers will distribute the devices to their respective students. Devices must be retrieved before the student leaves for the day.

Violations of this policy, including failure to turn in device(s) or tampering with the storage box, will result in consequences.

In the event of a documented medical need or a family emergency, a parent or guardian may contact the school’s front office to make arrangements for a student to have access to a device(s). These exceptions will be handled on a case-by-case basis and must be pre-approved by a school administrator.

This month, parents and guardians are being invited to share ideas about the new proposed policy at site council meetings. A feedback survey will also be offered to gather more information.

Students are also being encouraged to schedule a time with their building administrator this month to present ideas.

School staff this month are also actively providing feedback on policy drafts, storage logistics and implementation procedures. This month is the time for the school board to gather all feedback to possibly revise the proposed plan.

Next month, the board is expected to take action on the proposed new policy with implementation starting after the Christmas holiday in January.

From the outside, looking into the schools, a stricter cell phone and smart phone use policy seems to be needed at this time.

While the idea of leaving it up to each teacher to decide what the classroom policy on cell phone usage will be may seem OK, the reality is that policing the cell phone usage is taking up too much of the allotted instructional time.

If banning cell phones and smart devices in classrooms will reduce bullying at the schools and improve student grades and test scores, it will all be worth it.