- The school board plans to revisit the issue in March and will likely implement changes by the 2025-2026 school year.
- This potential ban aligns with a statewide trend in Florida to restrict cell phone use in schools, with varying degrees of success and student acceptance.
The School District of Lee County is considering a district-wide ban on cell phones during the entire school day.
This potential “bell-to-bell” ban would require students to store their devices in their backpacks from the first bell to the last. The proposal stems from concerns among school board members about cell phones affecting academic performance and student behavior.
Why is Lee County considering banning phones in schools?
The proposed ban is a response to concerns about student distraction, fights and other inappropriate behaviors stemming from cell phone use during school hours. At a Feb. 4 school board workshop, Board Chair Sam Fisher said academic achievement should be the district’s top priority and that he sees more benefits than drawbacks to a bell-to-bell ban.
“There’s too much distraction,” Fisher said. “Obviously, kids do have to understand how to use technology in this world, and we do work with them, whether it’s in Chromebooks and stuff like that, but there’s also plenty of time outside of school that can be dealt with by the parents.”
Board members echoed this sentiment.
“I’m totally for the phones from first bell to last bell remaining in the backpack,” Board Member Armor Persons said.
Board members said students frequently use cell phones in hallways, cafeterias and classrooms, creating distractions that interfere with learning. Some teachers report that students use phones to coordinate meetups and engage in inappropriate activities. The district also acknowledged the role of cell phones in cyberbullying and the posting of inappropriate content.
More:Should cellphones be banned from classrooms? What students, teachers say
What does the data say?
The district conducted a survey of parents regarding cell phone use in schools, which ran from Jan. 13 to Jan. 27. Of the more than 5,000 responses, 94% were from parents, and 85.3% agreed with restricting cell phone use during the instructional day as long as students could access their phones in their backpacks for emergencies. Survey respondents also indicated that the top potential benefit of restricting cell phone use during the school day would be an increase in academic performance.
Board Member Melisa Giovannelli expressed interest in reviewing data from districts with stricter cell phone policies. She also noted Gateway High School, where teachers supported the principal’s strict no-tolerance policy on cell phones.
“I believe that student achievement has gone up when they don’t have the phones at all, as well as children are engaged with each other,” she said. “I was told that the lunchroom atmospheres are better.”
What are the proposed changes to the Code of Conduct?
The district is proposing changes to the Code of Conduct for Students to reflect the potential new cell phone policy. The proposed changes include an increased school-level response to cell phone infractions in the classroom, where use is already prohibited by state law. The code also clarifies that cell phone rules apply to students while on the school bus. Specifically, the code prohibits unauthorized recording of activities on the bus and clarifies expectations against “sexting” and bullying via cell phone.
What about emergencies and student safety?
Parents worry about contacting their children during emergencies. The proposed policy allows students to keep their phones in their backpacks, turned off but still accessible if needed. Persons reassured parents that they can always reach their children through the school.
More:Schools don’t want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution?
What are other districts doing and how is this issue playing out statewide?
Lee County’s potential bell-to-bell ban comes amid a statewide push to limit cell phone use in schools. In May 2023, Florida became the first state to ban cell phone use in schools and block access to social media on district Wi-Fi.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the law was meant to allow students to focus on learning, not social media. The bill also mandates public schools to provide instruction on the social, emotional and physical effects of social media.
Many districts throughout the state are grappling with how to best implement the state law and address the issue of cell phone use.
Broward County Public Schools implemented a ban on cell phone use during the entire school day. A survey of students, parents and teachers found that a significant number of students were unhappy with the policy, while the majority of parents reacted positively. The school board has since considered walking back the policy after concerns were raised about safety, communication with family and inconsistent enforcement.
Orange County Public Schools also implemented a bell-to-bell ban, which led to increased student engagement. However, some students described school as more “prisonlike,” as they can no longer use their devices to perform tasks like checking their class schedules, taking photos of art projects or contacting their parents directly.
Sarasota County School Board has indicated it will not implement a total ban and will keep the current policy, which prohibits cell phone use during instructional time unless permitted by a teacher.
What’s next for Lee County?
The Lee County School Board is expected to revisit the issue in March, at which time they will consider a version of the code that includes a bell-to-bell restriction. The proposed changes will need to be made to the code of conduct by June, in time for the 2025-2026 school year. The district is also considering ways to better communicate the code of conduct and infraction levels to parents.
