A district survey previously showed 85% of teachers and parents support a mobile phone ban policyNow, students in the district are prohibited from using cell phones during school hours unless they need the phone to monitor or treat health problems or for things like translation.
The policy is the result of months of discussions between the district and Park City parents. Many parents supported the ban and organized two panel discussions on the topic Managing devices in school and the negative effects of social media.
The ban is designed to help students focus on learning and fully engage with their classmates and teachers during the school day. The policy requires students to keep their devices in a safe place where they cannot be seen.
Superintendent Jill Gildea said during Tuesday’s board meeting that sixth- and seventh-grade students will be required to leave their phones in their backpacks. Eighth- and ninth-grade students are testing bags with magnetic closures. The bag stays in the student’s backpack at all times.
According to Gildea, the bags could easily be cut open in a real emergency because they are made of fabric.
“The idea is that it’s not a temptation,” she said. “That you don’t get as irritated when you look at it, and because of the fabric, it’s coated in a way that it doesn’t get a signal. So even if you leave your phone on, it’s not going to ring and notify you.”
Gildea said the cell phone ban at Park City High School was ordered by teachers because teachers already had systems in place.
“They have the shoe bags, they want the kids to have cell phones for different things,” she said. “So it’s teacher-driven, but most of the time we’d like to leave it off. We really want to give the kids the opportunity to not have to be so connected.”
Students who violate the cell phone ban face increasingly severe consequences. First, they receive a verbal warning to put their cell phone away.
If a student still has difficulty keeping their phone out of sight, a teacher will take the phone and store it in the office. The student must pick up the device at the end of the day, or the teacher may require a parent or guardian to pick up the phone. Finally, teachers or school administrators will schedule a meeting with the student’s parent or guardian to discuss the student’s cell phone use.
