Recently, the topic of cell phone use in schools across the country has been called into question. Centaurus’ cell phone policy states, “All cell phones must be turned off, put away, and out of sight before entering the classroom” (Centaurus Student Handbook). However, the policy’s level of enforcement depends on the class and teacher, and enforcement has changed since the pandemic. 

New BVSD policies put the current policy into question.

The BVSD Board in August directed staff to start restricting cell phone use in high schools bell-to-bell, which would include during passing periods and lunch. Currently, the BVSD policy is that phones need to be put away during class, but there are no other restrictions during the day. 

BVSD’s current policy was adopted in 2019, but according to the Colorado Hometown Weekly, the school board plans to possibly amend the policy in spring 2025 after receiving feedback during the fall semester from students, parents, and educators.

Many other schools, in Colorado and nationwide, are following in a similar direction. 

For example, Colorado Springs District 11 adopted a new district-wide policy in 2024 banning the use of phones during the entire day, including during lunches and off periods. 

However, Denver Public Schools, St. Vrain Valley School District, and JeffCo do not have district-wide policies and instead leave it up to the school to decide (Chalkbeat Colorado). Reportedly, St. Vrain’s enforcement varies from school to school, instructing teachers and administrators to take their own course of action (Colorado Hometown Weekly). Similarly, New York City Public Schools, the largest school district in the country consisting of 1,600 schools, is planning to implement a district-wide ban on cell phones starting in February 2025 (Chalkbeat New York). In June, the Los Angeles School Board set a plan in motion to ban phone use on campus all day, set to be enforced in January. It’s likely that smaller districts will follow suit nationwide once large districts such as Los Angeles and New York enforce new cell phone bans. 

The topic of banning cell phones in schools quickly becomes heated. Some see it as beneficial, as research shows that cell phones increase anxiety, depression, and distractedness of students in school. However, others, particularly parents, are concerned about the apparent necessity of phones for communication. A piece of contention for Centaurus is the reliance on Instagram for school news and events. Student council runs a large presence, informing students about events going on every week and promoting ways for students to get involved at school. If a cell phone ban were to go into effect, it would take a while for such a robust system to shift away from social media and phones in school. Furthermore, many teachers use systems such as Remind, which sends messages to students’ phones about deadlines in class. A phone ban brings into question the reliance on cell phone apps that are related to school, along with how much they actually have the potential to help students learn and increase engagement.

Overall, the importance of the issue of cell phone use in school is apparent in Centaurus, BVSD, and the nation as a whole. The new policy is set to be revealed…

References

Boulder Valley School District Board of Education. “JRCT-R Student Use Of Cell Phones And Other Personal Technology Devices.” Boulder Valley School District, 9 May 2019, https://www.bvsd.org/about/board-of-education/policies/policy/~board/j-policies/post/student-use-of-cell-phones-and-other-personal-technology-devices-regulation

Bounds, Amy. “BVSD school board supports high school cell phone ban.” Boulder Daily Camera, 30 August 2024, https://www.coloradohometownweekly.com/2024/08/30/bvsd-school-board-supports-high-school-cell-phone-ban/

Schmike, Ann.” Here’s how Colorado’s 20 largest districts regulate student cell phone use.” Chalkbeat Colorado, 27 August 2024, https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2024/08/27/school-cell-phone-policies-get-stricter/

Zimmer, Amy; Elsen-Rooney, Michael. “NYC planning a school cellphone ban for February, principals say.” Chalkbeat New York, 17 July 2024, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/07/17/nyc-school-cellphone-ban-could-take-effect-february-2025/