Cell Phone Use In Schools Banned In One Of NJ's Largest Districts

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education approved a ban on the use of cell phones by students during the day, from the time they get on a school bus until they return home after school.

No board members or members of the public commented on the policy, which was approved by a unanimous vote at Wednesday's school board meeting.

The district is the sixth-largest in the state, with more than 14,000 students from four towns: Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach and South Toms River.

The policy comes as districts across New Jersey have been implementing bans on cell phone use in schools at the urging of the state Department of Education after years of problems especially harassment and bullying among students. It is similar to one approved by the Brick Township Board of Education in September. That district also banned student use of cell phones from the time students board the school bus in the morning until they get off the bus after school.

It also is similar to the guidelines described in a bill pending in the New Jersey legislature that would ban cell phone use by students in school, with exceptions. The bill, A4882, would allow student use in cases of danger or emergencies.

Cell phone use in schools has been controversial for years.

Those seeking to ban them say they are a distraction that hurts academic performance. Excel in Ed, a nonprofit organization focused on improving student performance, cited a study by the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that looked at smartphone use in school by U.S. students and found it harmed their math performance.

Those who believe students should have access to their phones at all times say student videos have revealed serious issues in schools, from leaking pipes and other building issues to teachers behaving inappropriately. They also express concerns about students being able to reach parents and authorities in the case of an emergency such as an active shooter incident.

The bill pending before the state Legislature codifies guidelines issued by the state Department of Education. Banning student cell phone use in schools also has the support of Gov. Phil Murphy, who urged it in his final State of the State address.

"If you ask just about any educator, they will tell you that mobile devices are a distraction in the classroom, that they are fueling a rise in cyberbullying, and they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids not only to learn but to retain the substance of what they learn," Murphy said in his speech.

"The thought process behind this bill was really, 'How do we help kids in school engage in the learning environment and not necessarily in the outside noise that … is causing students heightened anxiety and certainly behavioral issues?' " Assemblywoman Rosaura Bagolie (D-Essex), who sponsored the bill, told NJ Spotlight. Bagolie also is superintendent of the East Newark School District.

The Jersey City School District also banned cell phone use in schools this year, and Superintendent Norma Fernandez told NJ Spotlight the effects in her district have been positive, with students spending more time talking face-to-face and "not just texting or scrolling through the ideal world of Instagram (and) TikTok."

The district has seen fewer suspensions and fewer students expressing suicidal ideation, she told NJ Spotlight.

According to the Toms River policy and regulation that were introduced in October, students who bring their cell phones to school must keep them in their backpacks or lockers turned off from the time they get on the school bus in the morning or arrive at a before-school program until they get off the bus or go home after school, including during their afterschool sports or activities.

Students also are required to have access to their phones protected with a passcode "to prevent any unauthorized use of the device," the policy says.

Students who need to call their parents during the school day have to ask permission from a teaching staff member to go to the main office to use the school phone, and parents who need to reach their student in an emergency are required to call the main office, under the policy.

The only exceptions to the policy are for classified students whose electronic communication devices are covered under the student's individualized education plan or those students who have to monitor a health condition — and the use for a health condition must be approved by the principal with the school nurse and documented in the student's individual health plan, according to the proposed policy.

Violations of the policy will result in the school confiscating the phone for the remainder of the school day, with second violations resulting in detention and third violations subject to suspension. For second and third violations, the parent or guardian is required to pick up the device from the school.