A task force studying cell phone use in schools has recommended that students’ phones be turned off and kept away during the school day. This recommendation, presented to the Kansas State Board of Education, comes as part of a broader initiative addressing personal device use, screen time, mental health, and parental oversight of district-owned devices.
The task force suggests that schools store phones in inaccessible locations, establish communication procedures for emergencies, and create a device policy for staff. It also emphasizes the need for students to take regular breaks from devices to protect mental health and encourages parental involvement in overseeing digital access.
Notably, some Kansas districts already use Yondr bags, which lock phones in pouches during the school day, a practice that could expand following this recommendation.
Despite the fact that academic research and expert opinions informed the recommendations, not all of them received widespread support. Some controversial points, like allowing parental screen mirroring of student devices, received significant dissent. The Kansas Board of Education clarified that these are guidelines, not mandates, and local districts have the flexibility to decide whether to adopt them.
