Many school districts are expanding or refining their rules around cell phones. At Mounds View High School, restrictions have led to higher grades and fewer fights.
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Mounds View High School’s principal says a ban on cell phones in the class room is already paying off.
Rob Reetz enacted the new rules ahead of a new Minnesota law requiring schools to form policies for on-campus cell phone use by March 2025. Mounds View banned cell phone use in the classroom or during periods of instruction.
He told KARE 11 last school year that the change was needed.
“I was seeing phones as a disruption to learning,” Reetz said in February of 2025.
One student talked about the temptation of having phones handy throughout the day.
“You’re not very in tune with what’s going on in class outside of your phone cause you’re still on your phone as you walk into class and stuff like that,” said Calvin Fant, who was a student member of the district’s cell phone advisory committee.
So last school year, with input from parents and students, Mounds View High School adopted its no cell phones in the classroom policy.
“We’re very happy with how students responded, and in fac,t they appeared to like our plan as well,” Reetz told KARE 11 Anchor Lauren Leamanczyk as he got ready to embark on the 25-26 school year.
Success is seen in the numbers. Reetz says class failure rates for 9th graders are down 74 percent, and the school has seen a significant reduction in the number of fights on campus.
“We knew immediately that phones were the reason that these conflicts were escalating to becoming physical and when we eliminated the ability for conflict to be escalated during classes, we saw a significant reduction,” Reetz said.
Minnesota law required every school district to have a cell phone policy by March 2025. Since then, some are even expanding their initial policies.
Starting this year, the Stillwater Public School District is going completely “Phone Free”. Students either leave devices at home or turn them in at the start of the day.
Not everyone is going that far, but Reetz says principals like him are talking to one another about successes and challenges, each keeping a close eye on what’s working.
“Have you talked to any principal who said we need more cell phones in schools?,” KARE 11 asked. “Not a single one,” laughed Reetz.
