New rules limit phone use in classes

The Esko school district updated its student handbooks to tighten rules on student cell phone use, including no phone on students while they sit at their desks.

At Monday's school board meeting, superintendent Aaron Fischer introduced the revisions which are intended to standardize the rules for all the classrooms. The Minnesota legislature in the last session directed schools to set cell phone use policies by March 15, 2025. The legislation did not directly prescribe how the policies should be written, but the intent was to make classrooms free of phones.

Some schools have no policy, and some have policies that are not consistently enforced. Still others, like Wrenshall, would seem to be ahead of the legislature. That district banned the student use of cell phones during the school day starting in 2022.

Fischer said the changes concerning cell phone use were not a ban. The high school handbook's only new restrictions were a prohibition on the use of earbuds and headsets in the classroom and a requirement to use "wall hung storage pouches" in every classroom to store phones.

"Just like anything in a school, when you're consistent and you have a standard practice it's very easy to get compliance," high school principal Greg Hexum said.

He opened the door to a high school classroom and pointed to the array of pouches hanging on the wall. "So you can see when you walk into Mr. Andrews class, you walk in, you drop it in, you go sit down," he said.

Hexum was against a total ban on phones. He said there are other things that are also a distraction. "We have to be pragmatic ... here at our school and virtually every other school in the state right now, we give you one of these," he said, holding up a school-issued electronic tablet. The devices can do virtually anything a cell phone can do, so a student's use of them must be managed, he said.

Board member Leona Johnson wanted to know why the new policy specifically allows cell phone use in study halls. "They're just going to be communicating back and forth and chatting," she said.

"We have kids who like to

listen to music while they work ... and again, it's all about management of that device," Hexum said. "[If] you have a student who is distracted by it, and they have homework, then we're going to intervene in those cases."

Board member Margaret Sunnarborg asked, "What do you do with the kid in the study hall that comes every single day, puts ear buds in and goes to sleep?"

"Well, I think a nap in study hall can be a great thing sometimes for a student," Hexum said with a chuckle. "But I think we always have to be personalizing our experience for kids. ... Our teachers are responsible supervisors. They want to see kids being successful and meeting that student where they are on the given day is what we need to be doing."

In other action, the board unanimously approved allowing school staff to use the fitness center during lunch, breaks, and prep time. There was little debate, but Leona Johnson wanted to make sure the decision could be modified in case there was abuse of the privilege.

Fischer said it was a managerial decision, meaning the board can rescind or change it later if desired.

The flexible learning space completion has been delayed, awaiting materials. It now looks like a finishing date some time in October.

The good news?

"All of the loud work, all of the dirty work, will be done by Sept. 3," Fischer said, so it will not interfere with the start of school.