Should Schools Ban All Cell Phone Use During The Day? [POLL]

NEW YORK — Most, if not all, public schools have policies dealing with students using cell phones during the school day. No matter the policy, not everyone is happy with it.

The Middletown school district in Orange County announced recently that cell phone use will be drastically curtailed during the school day when the 2022-23 year begins in September.

Superintendent Amy Creeden said there would be an expansion of the ban put in place at its two middle schools in January and will now encompass all grades — from kindergarten to 12th.

[If you are viewing this on a mobile device and cannot see the poll, click here to access it.]

"Our goal continues to be providing each of our young people with opportunities to learn and grow in an optimal academic-focused environment," she said. "To do this, we need to ensure we are working together to make safety a priority and limit as many distractions as practicable."

All cell phones will have to be turned off and put away during the school day, and students will not have access to them at any point during the day, including during study hall and lunch periods.

Students will not be permitted to use their cell phones when changing classes, school officials said.

Cell phones may only be accessed prior to the start of the school day and then after the school day ends. The devices will be allowed to be used during after-school activities.

If there is an emergency or an urgent matter, the school's office staff will get a message to a student and have them return the call. Students who must make a phone call will have to do so from the building's main office.

Further, any cell phone used in violation of the policy will be confiscated, and a parent or guardian will be required to come to the school to pick it up. Phones will not be handed back to a student after they are confiscated, officials said.

To discuss the new policy, the school district will hold two "Talk about it Tuesday" sessions at 6 p.m. Aug. 2 and Aug. 9. The sessions will include open dialogues with the superintendent.

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the subject. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.