Mississippi lawmakers’ efforts to introduce a bill regarding cellphone usage in the classroom have missed the mark for the second consecutive legislative session, leaving Mississippi as one of two states to maintain an “F” grade on the national Phone-Free Schools State Report Card.
Regardless of the grade the state received on the report card, it is the district’s responsibility to create an environment that maximizes learning, said Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Craig Chapman.
“With the widespread use of cell phones, students are increasingly connected throughout the day,” Chapman said. “While phones can support instruction in some situations, they often become distractions and can create safety concerns by bringing outside conflicts and inappropriate behaviors into the school environment.”
While the statewide ban on devices in the classroom was unsuccessful, CMSD and other area districts have implemented policies to combat inappropriate cellphone use during school hours.
The CMSD student handbook prohibits the use of electronic devices in schools from the moment the first bell rings in the morning until a student leaves their last class of the day.
The first offense results in confiscation of the device which is returned to the parent at the end of the day, whereas a second offense results in a device being held for five days and the third for 30 days. If students need to contact a parent or guardian during school hours, they are instructed to use a phone in the office or guidance office.
Filming at school, as it violates the privacy of other students, results in a three-day suspension for the first offense and a five-day suspension for subsequent offenses.
“Cell phone disruptions have become a growing challenge for school districts,” Chapman said. “Regardless of state legislation, we will continue reviewing our expectations and procedures to protect instructional time and minimize distractions for students.”
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District student handbook prohibits the use of electronic devices during school hours unless they are being used for instructional purposes in the classroom or the student has been given explicit permission to use them by an SOCSD employee.
Use of a personal electronic device during school hours is considered a Level 1 infraction, resulting in disciplinary action ranging from one day of in-school detention to three days of out-of-school suspension and a loss of parking privileges.
SOCSD Communications Director Haley Montgomery said these policies go a long way toward controlling the use of cellphones and their impact on the learning environment, even if that isn’t regulated at the state level.
“If districts are able to determine their policies as far as what works best for their instructional environment and are committed to enforcing those … then at the district level we’re able to do what we need to do to protect that education and the possibility for distraction-free learning,” Montgomery said.
The Lowndes County School District student handbook prohibits elementary and middle school students from using electronic communication devices at any time between the beginning of the school day until classes are dismissed. For high schoolers, devices may not be used in the classroom but are permitted in common areas outside of instructional time. Improper use of devices results in confiscation.
Students caught recording fights will be subjected to the same punishments as those fighting, in addition to their device being confiscated. Devices are held until the end of the day for first offenses, for 30 days for a second offense and for 60 days for a third offense, however parents may pick up devices for a fee before then.
“Like any school expectation, success depends on consistent enforcement. When expectations are clear and consistently applied, cell phones rarely become an issue,” said LCSD Superintendent Sam Allison. “… Our focus is not on taking phones away from students; it is on creating an environment where teachers can teach and students can learn with as few distractions as possible.”
This story first appeared in the Back to School special section.
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