State mandates school phone policies

SANDUSKY — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill on Wednesday requiring school districts to regulate students' device use at every grade level. DeWine visited Karrer Middle School in Dublin, near Columbus, to sign House Bill 250. The bill requires districts to set a policy for students' cellphone use during school hours. It also acknowledges those who need exceptions. For example, the use of such devices for health monitoring or to better a student's learning. "Our school children currently face countless distractions every day from the devices in their pockets," DeWine said. "By limiting these distractions, we will re-establish the opportunity for students across Ohio to immerse themselves in their classwork, learn from their teachers and create lifelong memories with their closest friends." DeWine said creating policies will not only help students' educational development but will also act as a safety measure. He said alerts from the internet and social media are damaging to mental health. Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor, also said it's important that students focus on school rather than "likes." Phone policies will reduce the amount of time students spend on addictive and harmful apps. The deadline for districts to adopt policies is by July 2025 in preparation for the 2025-26 school year. The Department of Education and Workforce must also adopt a model policy for public schools to utilize. Individual districts' officials can create their own policies to best fit their districts and students' needs. Policies in place Many local districts already have regulations on student devices. Each district follows a pattern of allowing more technological freedom as students get older. Here's information on some district phone policies provided by area school officials: Sandusky Schools • Sandusky High School students can use their devices before the first-period bell, after the last-period bell and after lunch. Unless teachers give permission, devices must be turned off and out of sight. • Sandusky Middle School students cannot have their phones during the school day and must keep them in stored away. • Students at Sandusky's intermediate and Sandusky Early Learning Academy cannot have a device in school or on the bus. Norwalk Schools • Students are permitted to possess the following types of electronic devices: cellphones, digital music players, e-readers, and personal/school-issued computers. Possession of the permitted electronic devices is a privilege that can be revoked at any time throughout the school year for any student who fails to abide by the terms of the policy or otherwise engages in the misuse of the privilege. The student is responsible for the cellphone device. • Electronic devices can be used during class change or during lunch. • Electronic devices cannot be used inside classrooms or during study halls unless there is an educational purpose for its use and the individual instructor grants permission. • Electronic devices cannot be used during school-wide assemblies or during class meetings. Perkins Schools • High school students can have their devices on campus but cannot use them in class, study hall, assemblies or other instructional settings. • Middle school students must have their phones in their lockers or a designated spot in the classroom. They must be off or on silent until the end of the day. Headphones are also not allowed unless given permission. Briar Middle School has scheduled No-Tech Days. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students must leave their phones in their lockers or at home. Margaretta Schools • Students in grades 6-12 can have devices before and after school, during lunch, during after-school activities and between classes. They must be off and out of sight at any other time. • Middle school students must leave their devices in their lockers during school hours. They are permitted before and after school. Elementary students must do they same, but they also cannot have them during school activities like field trips. Huron Schools • High school students can only use their phones during study hall, between classes, during lunch and before and after the school day. Devices must be on silent, they devices cannot be used for assignments and students cannot record others in the school. Headphones are not allowed at any time. • Middle school students must keep their devices in their lockers unless given permission. • The kindergarten through fifth-grade students are not allowed to have a device under any circumstances. Monroeville Schools • Cellphones must be put in classroom pouches (at the high school level) or put away (K-eighth grade) during class and may not be used for any purpose during the class period. Students may use their phones during lunch or in between classes. South Central Schools • Cellphone policy allows students to use their phones during class changes, lunch, and breakfast. Students are not permitted to use their phones during class instruction. To help students focus, each classroom has a secure place for students to store their phones when they enter the room. Students can then retrieve their phones when they leave the room for class changes. Western Reserve Schools • Students may not use electronic devices such as music players, video cameras, recording devices, computers, tablets, etc. in the classroom without authorization. Cellphones may be placed in storage compartments upon entering classrooms. Unauthorized devices will be confiscated and sent to the office. Willard Schools • Use of mobile phones for any voice or text communication is not permitted during instructional time without the permission of school personnel. • Mobile phones may be used as directed by school personnel. Otherwise, mobile phones must be turned off or muted during school hours. • Mobile phones may possess advanced functions including Internet access, eReader, and video/audio functions. These functions may be used before school, after school, during lunch, or between classes. Use of these functions during classroom instruction is at the discretion of school personnel.