Cell Phone Ban Coming To Schools In Western New York?

This year will be a little different for some students in Western New York as a number of schools are implementing a new policy banning phones in classrooms.

Many of us remember a time when there was no such thing as a cell phone in a classroom.  That's because either they weren't allowed back then, or they hadn't been invented yet.  But these days, phones have almost become an extension of the person who owns them for both adults and kids.

This year, in a few schools in Western New York, students are going to be forced to leave them outside the classroom.

A No Cell From Bell To Bell policy is coming

Lackawanna City Schools has announced that they will be enforcing what they're calling a "No Cell From Bell To Bell" policy for the upcoming school year.  They say it's an initiative "to create an optimal learning environment for all students, emphasizing the district's commitment to academic excellence and student well-being."

The plan is to offer secure, lockable phone bags for all students that they will have to put their phones and other electronics in at the beginning of the day.  The bags will still be in the possession of the students throughout the day, but they will be locked.  At the end of the day, those bags will then be unlocked and will give students access to their phones again.

Why should cell phones be banned from classrooms?

Many feel as though these electronics can be incredibly distracting from the learning process.  Also, more screen time often results in decreased mental health and overall well-being.  Those are just a couple of the reasons given for the ban.  Lackawanna hopes that this policy will help students "focus more effectively on their studies and engage more deeply in classroom activities."

There is an argument for having them remain in the classroom too

It's not just some of the students who are a little uncomfortable with this rule.  While most of the parents I saw were for it, there are some parents who are still reluctant. While phones can be distracting, they can also be a quick way to reach your child in an emergency in the middle of the day.  While we can say that we never needed them in our classrooms growing up, schools also didn't deal with the violence that they're having to deal with these days.  Should an emergency occur, parents can reach their children sometimes immediately.

The problem with that line of communication existing comes from parents who interrupt their student's day by texting to ask for things like what they'd like for dinner that night.

Most Schools Already Have A No Cell Phone Policy

After reading the comments on social media, it appears as though many schools already have a policy against cell phones in the classroom.  However many teachers and administrators admit that it's very difficult to enforce the rule.

Lackawanna is going to be holding a town hall meeting to go over the new changes this year. They're inviting parents and guardians to learn more about the policy and share their thoughts and feedback. The meetings will be held on Monday, August 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the High School/Middle School library, and on Thursday, August 29, at 6:00 p.m. in the High School cafeteria.