On Jan. 30, the USD 260 Board of Education held a workshop with several members of administration to discuss the benefits of a cell phone ban at Derby High School. After nearly three and a half hours of discussion, several steps were listed to understand what a potential cell phone ban would look like at DHS and how to implement it.
Getting the conversation going was high school teacher Tawna Hall. She served on the state’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time representing DHS. The task force was a group of experts that met regularly to discuss specific topics and provide recommendations for Kansas schools. The task force Hall participated in focused on screen time usage by students and how to combat it.
Hall provided several statistics on the impact cell phones have on students in school. Among those statistics, 72% of high school teachers said cell phones are a distraction, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center study. To complement that, 97% of teenagers say they use their cell phones during the school day. That is because, on average, a high school student will receive 243 notifications during the school day.
Though the data notes students will use their cell phones to cheat on their schoolwork, the distractions cell phones present led the conversation. According to Hall, the task force took about 11 weeks and featured a mix of experts in mental health, technology, education and public health, along with students. The task force reviewed numerous studies surrounding the impact screen time has on students. Four foundational harms were identified including social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation and addiction.
Social deprivation addresses the lack of face-to-face interaction between students while at school. Hall discussed the irony that students today are more connected virtually, yet they are not engaging with one another in person.
“Kids are isolating themselves despite the social connection,” Hall said.
This social isolation is lending to the mental health issues students are experiencing based on some of the studies the task force reviewed. While teenagers are surrounded by their peers for several hours a day at school, they are hyperfocused on their phones.
Sleep deprivation and attention fragmentation are attributed to the notifications students receive on their phones. The task force reviewed information from experts and studies, learning that many students have not developed the ability to maintain their focus due to the urge to check their phone multiple times while in a class.
Finally, addiction brought forth a sobering moment for the task force when student feedback included statements such as, “We’re being asked to manage our own addiction.”
Hall added that by asking teachers to police the use of cell phones in the academic environment, teachers are also being asked to manage the addiction of their students.
The task force used the discussions surrounding the foundational harms to come up with several recommendations for Kansas schools. The first recommendation was a “bell-to-bell” policy, which mandates no cell phones from the first bell of the day to the last bell of the day. This means students would not be allowed to use their phones at any time during the school day. This policy would be accompanied with consequences that could, potentially, lead to suspension or expulsion.
The second recommendation supported the first by suggesting cell phones be secured in the school, making them inaccessible throughout the day. Hall said it was not enough to require students to store cellphones in their backpacks; they need to be completely inaccessible.
Another recommendation was to create a policy for staff and faculty in the school. Hall conveyed that the task force recognized teachers are professionals and should be treated as such but need to model the right kind of behavior for students.
Hall’s report prompted the board to bring up the fact that many Derby parents have already stressed concerns for their child’s safety during emergency situations. With that, the task force recommended a robust safety and emergency procedure with a communication plan for parents. Hall, with support from USD 260 Safety and Security Officer Matt Liston, pointed out that many students increase their potential for danger when they use their cell phones during crisis situations and safety drills.
Many benefits are expected from the recommendations, including increased student and teacher engagement, along with better use of class time. Hall reported that cyberbullying decreases when phones are not immediately available, along with improved behavior during lunch time. Decreases in mental health visits to school counselors was also reported as a benefit.
Following Hall’s report, the board engaged in a detailed discussion with administrative staff from several of the schools in the district, voting to move forward in creating a plan for banning cell phones in the high school. The board will focus on communicating the “why” for banning cell phones to parents in the district. In addition, research on implementation was requested for continued consideration of the ban and support (personnel, resources, etc.) was noted as a key measure in implementation of the ban.
“We can’t just give this to [DHS Principal] Gretchen [Pontious],” said BOE member Mark Boline. “We have to make sure she gets the support she needs.”
Currently, both middle schools in Derby have an established no cell phone policy with corresponding consequences. While the board realized the change would be an inconvenient one for many students, parents and teachers to buy into, the reward would far outweigh the inconvenience.
The board is considering how to create a cell phone ban policy with exceptions for students that use their phones to monitor medical conditions. Such a policy will not be implemented before the 2025-2026 academic year.
