Powering down: School districts adopt new procedures to limit cellphone distractions

Some suburban students will be welcomed back to school with new procedures to help quiet cellphone distractions in the classroom.

As experts continue to warn about harmful effects of cellphones and social media, educators are finding ways to limit access during the school day.

In St. Charles Unit District 303, for example, a district-wide procedure will help clarify expectations. High School students will be asked to silence their smartphones and place them in phone caddies at the start of each class.

Middle school students will be told to power down smartphones and other devices, such as smartwatches, and put them in their lockers for the day. Elementary school students will power down all devices and keep them in their backpacks.

“The biggest piece to this is ensuring that our students and families know the why,” District 303 Superintendent Paul Gordon said of the new policy. “It’s not about control. It’s about ensuring we have the best learning opportunities for our students and the best teaching environment for our staff.”

Other suburban schools will continue to rely on existing policies.

Students in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 can access phones in a classroom for academic purposes, or if their teacher allows it.

Arlington Heights District 25 requires elementary school students to store their devices in the “off” position in their backpacks, while middle school students store their powered-down devices in their lockers.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers proposed a law that would have banned the use of electronic communication devices, such as cellphones and smart watches, during class time. The measure failed to reach the governor’s desk during the regular legislative session, but could be revisited later.

District 303 set out to craft a new policy last year. Gordon and St. Charles Education Association President Jennifer Adam led an ad hoc committee of 70 members, including teachers, parents, students and staff.

The group started by reading “The Anxious Generation,” a popular book about the effect cellphones and social media have on young people.

“We have the potential of creating better learning and better mental health for our students,” Adam said. “I’m glad so many districts are taking the fact of smartphone addiction seriously.”

During the school day, the desire to reach for a cellphone could distract a student or cause anxiety.

“Having cellphones in the classroom can be very distracting,” said Dr. Laura Koehler, manager of anxiety and OCD services at Endeavor Health Linden Oaks. “It can take a lot of effort not to reach into your pocket and get the phone when you feel it vibrating.”

When phones are off or put away, students don't have to worry about someone texting them or wonder what a friend has posted on social media. She added that creating phone-free zones helps students decrease their reliance on their devices.

“You build your tolerance to have an entire hour go by and not look at your phone,” she said, adding that time helps encourage socialization and helps students focus on classroom activities. “After doing that for a while, it just becomes the norm, which is really going to help them in the future.”

In Elgin Area School District U-46, where middle- and high school students have been barred from accessing their cellphones during class time since the 2019-2020 school year, middle schools will roll out new lockable pouches.

Students will be provided a pouch at the beginning of the year. Each day, students will place their powered-down devices in the pouch, which locks with a click. Before heading home, students visit a school station to unlock their pouches and retrieve their devices.

The district pilot tested the pouches at Larsen Middle School last year.

“They proved successful as evidenced by reduced referrals and behavioral incidents, overall, as well as increased student engagement with one another and teachers and improved social-emotional well-being, to name a few,” said Mark Gonnella, U-46’s director of culture and climate, adding that students played board games and card games provided by the principal during lunch breaks.

Other districts are strengthening procedures.

In Palatine Elementary District 15, students will be required to turn off devices and keep them in their lockers or backpacks during instructional time.

In Naperville Unit District 203, both high schools are reinforcing rules banning cellphones in the classroom by requiring students to place phones in a numbered wall pouch, desktop pouch or other caddy. Students can access their phones during passing periods.

While the schools instituted procedures two years ago requiring students to keep their phones in their backpacks, expectations sometimes varied from class to class.

“Our teachers have been asking us for a uniform practice,” Naperville North Principal Jay Watchel said.

As schools change policies, districts are reminding parents that they can always call the school office to contact their student in an emergency. In many instances, high school students can check their phones during passing periods.

Koehler and school officials recommend parents review cellphone procedures with their students and address any concerns.

Koehler also suggests parents incorporate some of the same themes at home to encourage healthy habits. For example, they could set a routine that includes restricting devices during dinnertime or placing cellphones in a designated area outside of bedrooms to charge at night.