Many students’ first instinct when they have free time in class is to go on their phones. Students have grown accustomed to going through their school day constantly checking their notifications or contacting friends in other classes. However, due to a new district policy, this school year, students have had to learn to live without their communicative devices. Cell phones must be kept in either backpacks or lockers from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the exception of lunch and passing times. 

A policy is a rule or set of guidelines that, in this case, the school must enforce. The creation of policies either comes from the state, or is created by the school board, “through a system of researching, creating, and voting,” as stated by school board member JoLyn Williams. There are seven members of the Policy Committee: Jeff Sampson, Lori Hanson, Tim Hodges, Deb Kadrlik, Bill Thompson, Jennifer Chappuis, and Reid Olson create policies and discuss them, then they are passed on to the school board. The main source from which the school board derives its policies is the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA). The sole reason the school board passed the new phone policy is because it aligns with the MSBA model student handbook. 

Policy XV in summary says that students may not use cell phones or other communicative devices during the instructional day, and teachers have the right to confiscate devices if these guidelines are not followed. This means that students must keep their devices in backpacks or lockers, and teachers have the responsibility of disciplining students who choose to not abide by these rules. 

Being unable to use cell phones throughout the day has substantially changed the classroom environment. Cannon Falls High School teacher Carin Crego-Faul explains that she has, “observed students’ willingness to engage with their peers more frequently.” This implies that students are further able to connect with each other when they don’t have the social barrier of a cell phone. Crego has also noticed, “the quantity of students willing to jump in and help their peers has significantly increased.” Students are overall more involved with their peers and this is no doubt a result of Policy XV.

There has also been a rise in attentiveness and productivity shown in students. Cannon Falls High School student Anna Ritz says that she gets more done in class and study hall because, “I am not distracted by my phone.” In contrast, there are downsides to the policy. Amera Wells, a Junior at Cannon Falls High School, explains that she, “can’t contact her friends that are in different classes.” So, if friends don’t have any classes together, they are unable to communicate with each other during the school day. 

Regardless, Policy XV is something that everyone in the district will have to adjust to together. Though some students may find it difficult to break their cell phone habits, there are clear benefits to restricting device usage during school hours. One of the greatest benefits is an increase in peer interaction. This may even be an opportunity to connect with each other, by disconnecting from devices.