Schoolcraft’s School Board August 11 approved a new cell phone policy proposed by faculty members at the district’s Junior/Senior High School. The new rules are simple: “Bell-to-bell, no cell,” said Principal Matthew Dailey.
In previous years, students have been allowed to use their cell phones during class at the discretion of their teachers. Cell phones were seen as a necessity for multiple aspects of learning in classrooms, including access to calculators and calendars, Internet searches, and listening to music. Now, Dailey says, “Anything we can do on a cell phone, we can do on our Chromebooks.”
According to Dailey, the reason for introducing a new cell phone policy is “to remove the burden of enforcement on our teachers.” Teachers should be able to direct their focus on teaching lessons, rather than constantly interrupting themselves to monitor unpermitted cell phone usage in classrooms. Under the new policy, teachers will give students one warning before directing violators to the office.
The new policy applies to “any technology that transmits or receives messages during the school day,” including smartwatches. Any use of this technology during class time will result in confiscation of the student’s device.
Why are cell phones a problem? Parents, teachers, and students agree that non-educational cell phone use in classrooms is distracting and harmful to a student’s learning abilities. Cell phone concerns include poor focus and information retention skills, disruption of learning, and academic integrity issues, as phones can be used to cheat on tests and assignments.
The only students exempt from the new rules are those with medical conditions who use their phones to monitor their health during classes. If parents wish to contact their children during classes, they are encouraged to contact the school office, where a message will be relayed to students by administrators.
Schoolcraft’s Elementary cell phone policy will remain the same, as cell phone use is not reported to be an issue at that level.
Also at the school board meeting, members of the board began problem-solving fundraising issues. President Jennifer Gottschalk worried that school organizations are “fundraising our community to death” and suggested they “focus more on experiences than selling things.” However, that left those in attendance with many questions about how to otherwise collect the necessary funds for field trips, school dances, and other such activities. Ultimately, planned fundraisers for the 2025-26 school year were approved, and the board plans to improve fundraising strategies for next year.
Vicksburg also blocks cell phones
Vicksburg High School students also returned to school without access to their cell phones during classes. The school is providing radio-frequency-blocking pouches for students’ phones in the classrooms.
