Genoa: Student cell phone policy revised

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Revisions to the Genoa High School handbook covering the use of cell phones by students have been approved by the board of education.
Cody McPherson, assistant superintendent, said the revisions focus on classroom instructional time.
“Having a policy on cell phone usage is not new for the district. Each year, the school board approves policies for each building, which includes cell phones. However, after HB 250 passed, the district felt that adjustments were appropriate for the high school. The adjusted language approved sets the expectation that during classroom instructional time students do not have our cell phones on them at all,” McPherson said. “They’re expected to be in lockers and that instructional time is for instruction. This required some minor adjustments to the previous cell phone policy in the high school. For the most part we were already having those discussions – even before this year – about the impacts of cell phone usage as one of the contributing factors to the rise of mental health issues. These discussions and concerns increased during Covid and have persisted post pandemic. They all go hand in hand.
“In our elementary and middle school we have a firm expectation that students do not have any wireless communication devices on hand during the school days. For both buildings, wireless communication devices like cell phones, are to be in student backpacks and turned off, until the end of the day. In the past, the high school was allowing for a little more leniency, but we felt a correction was needed. Passage of HB 250 brought about the conversation that led to the adjustment in policy.”
In formulating a policy, the district is trying to find an age appropriate balance in preparing students for adulthood, he said.
The administration had made adjustments to the high school policy in the spring and presented them to the school board during its August meeting.
“There was a good conversation about it and in the end, the board passed it,” McPherson said.
The Genoa district is well ahead of state requirements as set in House Bill 250, signed into law May 15 by Gov. Mike DeWine.
Schools will be required to adopt their cell phone policies no later than July 2025, ahead of the 2025-2026 school year, according to the new law.
It will require every school district in Ohio to establish an official policy governing cell phone usage during school hours with an objective to minimize student use of cell phones in K-12 schools.
The bill requires all districts place an emphasis on limiting cell phone use and reducing cell phone-related distractions in classrooms. It also includes exceptions for student learning as determined by local school officials.
This past May, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce posted a model policy on its website.
The policy states that research shows student use of cell phones in schools has negative effects on student performance and mental health.
“Cell phones distract students from classroom instruction, resulting in smaller learning gains and lower test scores. Increased cell phone use has led to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders in children,” the model policy says.
The policy applies to the use of cell phones by students while on school property during school hours. Students are prohibited from using cell phones at all times with some exceptions: “Nothing in this policy prohibits a student from using a cell phone for a purpose documented in the student’s individualized education program developed under …the Ohio Revised Code or a plan developed under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A student may use a cell phone to monitor or address a health concern.”
Under the model policy, students are to keep their cell phones in a secure place, such as the student’s locker, a closed backpack, or a storage device provided by the district, at all times when cell phone use is prohibited.
McPherson said the policies already in place for the Genoa middle and elementary schools are in line with the state’s model policy.
“In addition to the cell phone policy, as a district, we also have an Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Policy. As a 1-1 district, this policy sets the expectations for students on appropriate utilization of all WiFi connected devices, including district Chromebooks. Both policies go hand-in-hand in setting expectations for students here at school when handling technology.”