BROCKTON – Brockton High School may be one step ahead of the Attorney General with the implementation of a policy banning cell phone use during the school day. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell recently introduced the STUDY Act, an act promoting Safe Technology Use and Distraction-free education for Youth, that would limit cell phone use in all public schools in Massachusetts.
“The STUDY Act puts students and their mental health first. By restricting cellphones during the school day and raising the bar for social media companies, we are taking bold steps to create learning environments free from distraction and a digital landscape that prioritizes the well-being of our youth. The bill is a commitment to both education and mental health for our young, ensuring they have the tools to succeed without unnecessary harm,” AG Campbell said in a press release.
What is the Attorney General proposing?
The STUDY Act, supported by Senator Julian Cyr, Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch and Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian, “seeks to implement a ‘bell-to-bell’ restriction on access to cell phones and personal electronic devices during school hours to improve the overall learning environment and school culture.”
The bill also looks to set standards for social media companies that encourage safe and responsible use.
According to Campbell’s press release, “the STUDY Act would require all public schools to have formal policies regarding the use of cell phones, tablets, and other personal electronic devices on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities. Each policy must prevent students from physically accessing their personal electronic devices during school hours. Exemptions to the policy would be provided in certain circumstances, such as to accommodate a student’s needs as provided by their individualized education program or health plan.”
The STUDY Act also requires schools to have a policy educating students about the social, emotional and physical harms of social media use
Has new phone policy helped Brockton High School?
The Brockton School Committee passed a new cell phone policy in March 2024 restricting phone access during school hours at the high school. Beginning in September 2024, students at Brockton High School were required to lock their phones in Yondr pouches upon entering school. The pouches would only be unlocked at the end of the school day.
An increase in violence, filming and posting videos of fights on social media, reported by some high school teachers to the school committee, was one reason for such a policy.
The Enterprise spoke to Brockton High School Principal Kevin McCaskill about the changes they’ve seen since implementing the new phone policy.
“We have seen violence go down and an increase in student engagement,” said McCaskill. “It’s cut down on distraction.”
“We want to create an environment where they are allowed to freely express themselves without a phone,” he added.
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Any problems?
McCaskill said initially some students were not on board with the new program with some even breaking their pouches to gain access. This doesn’t happen as much anymore, McCaskill said, adding that less than 50 pouches have been broken this school year.
But he added, Brockton High School has a ‘you break it, you buy it’ policy, where students are required to pay to replace the pouch if damaged.
Expanding the program?
McCaskill said the new cell phone policy at Brockton High School has seen support from parents, community members and students. He added that surrounding school districts have even reached out seeking guidance on how Brockton’s cell phone policy.
“We have had other districts contact us who are also looking at implementing new phone polices,” said McCaskill, who declined to identify those communities.
New phone policies for the Brockton’s middle schools could be in the works. McCaskill says the district will bring the conversation to parents this spring.
The Enterprise reached out to Taunton, East Bridgewater, and Bridgewater-Raynham school districts to learn more about their cell phone policies but did not hear back.
