The district says the policy is intended to increase academic performance while improving mental health and learning environments.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Students in St. Paul will soon need to put their phones away during class after Saint Paul Public Schools passed a new districtwide policy Tuesday.
According to the most recent draft of the policy, cell phones and personal electronic devices won’t be allowed during school hours. Students can either leave their phones at home, in their lockers or completely turned off and “out of sight.” The policy will go into effect at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.
The district says the policy is intended to increase academic performance while improving mental health and learning environments. However, there will be some exceptions, such as if a student needs a personal electronic device to monitor a medical condition or in emergencies.
Each school will now be responsible for implementing its own procedures, which include whether or not to allow students to have phones during lunch or between classes.
Schools nationwide have looking for ways to keep students more engaged in the classroom. While bans have been gaining traction, many educators say they’re not enough, and urge districts to explore alternative solutions, including steering students outdoors or toward extracurriculars to fill time they might otherwise spend alone online.
Minneapolis Public Schools allows students in 6th grade or higher to use their cell phone in the classroom with the teacher’s permission. However, at Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools, high school students must turn off their phones or have them on “airplane mode” unless the teacher allows it. Students in elementary school and middle school must have electronic devices “powered off and away.”
