Find out about Heartland Community School’s cell phone policies below
Nebraska Examiner Press Release
BY: SHAUNEEN MIRANDA
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school, and district on Tuesday to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools.
The department asks schools to have well-thought-out policies on the matter but does not dictate exactly what those policies should be. An accompanying resource for schools notes the risk social media can pose to students’ mental health.
“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a written statement.
“The evidence makes clear: there is no one-size-fits-all policy,” Cardona added, noting that “different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices — parents, educators, and students — inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school.”
The department acknowledged the role cell phones can play in keeping parents connected to their kids, especially in emergency situations, while also highlighting the increasing evidence of the harms social media can have on youth mental health, such as sleep deprivation and depression.
Increasing state policies
An increasing number of states and school districts have enacted policies either prohibiting or restricting students’ use of cell phones in classrooms.
Across the country, schools and districts continue to grapple with how to deal with kids’ cellphone use, and more than half of all states have sought to ban or restrict cellphone use in classrooms.
As of early November, at least eight states have passed statewide policies that either limit or prohibit cellphone use in the classrooms, according to KFF.
That includes California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. A Minnesota law forces schools to adopt a policy on cellphone use by March 2025.
A handful of other states’ education departments have issued policy recommendations or pilot programs, while lawmakers in several more have introduced statewide legislation regarding cellphone use.
The guidance from the U.S. Education Department coincides with the release of a resource for education officials and local communities on adopting cellphone use policies.
In the playbook, Cardona points to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s public warning in 2023 on social media’s effects on youth mental health.
Murthy warns: “More research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media; however, the current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”
Heartland High School Principal Tim Carr Discusses Cell Phone Policies
As stated in the Heartland handbook, cell phone use is accepted during lunch, between classes, and at the classroom teacher’s discretion for 9-12th grade students. Carr said elementary and junior high students are not allowed to use cell phones, and teachers will keep them during the day if they are brought to school.
Heartland High School Principal Tim Carr said each high school teacher has a routine for handling cell phones brought into their classrooms. “Some teachers have a designated place where cell phones go, such as a shelf or hanging pocket bag when students enter the classroom,” said Carr.
This hanging bag is where Heartland students place their cell phones in Amy Pinney’s 9-12 English and speech classroom. They put their cell phone in the numbered pouch that matches their assigned seat number. Below is the “No Phone Zone” rules cell posted on her classroom’s exterior door.
Heartland does have no cell phone zones such as locker rooms and restrooms that are enforced. “When kids enter a P.E. class, they place their cell phones in a designated place on the bleachers, which ensures the phones don’t get into the locker room,” said Carr. He said Heartland teachers do a very good job of enforcing their routines and expectations concerning cell phone use with students.
Changing how Heartland handles student cell phone use has been discussed at length, said Carr, but their policy will stay the same for now. He said other schools in the area, such as Centennial, Grand Island, Superior, and York, have a no-cell phone policy. Some schools use magnetic locking devices such as Yondr Pouch for cell phones brought to school.
“I can’t say if we would ever change our current cell phone policy. Our priority is to keep kids safe, and if a need arises in the future, we will do what’s needed for our school.”
Here is the Heartland Community School policy on cell phone use as stated in the high school student handbook:
Section 7
USE OF TELEPHONE
Points to remember in using the telephone: Please ask for permission to use the phone.
1. Use the telephone for emergencies only.
2. Long-distance telephone calls should be charged to your home phone.
3. Students may receive calls only in case of an emergency.
4. Cell phone use is accepted during lunch, between classes, and at the discretion of the classroom teacher for 9-12th grade students. If a student is misusing the device, the teacher will collect the item and turn it in at the office.
***Students shall not use electronic devices for recording or transmitting photographs, images, or sounds of other persons without direct administrative approval and consent of all person(s) being recorded, other than the recording of persons participating in school activities that are open to the public. Students shall not use electronic devices at any time where there is an expectation of privacy. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, suspension and expulsion from school.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
- First offense – student will pick up device at the end of the day.
- Second offense – parent/guardian may pick up the device at the end of the day.
- Third offense – parent/guardian may pick up the device at the end of the day and the student will serve detention.
- After the third offense, follow the handbook for cumulative misconduct.
Students are responsible for their devices.
