FARGO — The Los Angeles Board of Education plans to ban students from using cellphones during class by the spring 2025 semester.
Last school year, a school in our area implemented a similar plan for the first time.
On the first day of the 2023-24 school year, Shanley High School implemented a policy that requires cell phones to be turned off during class and kept in lockers, cars or backpacks. A full year into the ban, administrators are pleased with the results.
“From the first day of school, the volume in the cafeteria was up, and for good reason. Students were talking to each other. They weren’t just playing games. They weren’t just scrolling through their social media feeds. They were talking to each other, laughing, rehashing classroom discussions,” said Father Kyle Metzger, Shanley High School Principal.
Feedback from teachers has been generally positive, with some noting increased participation in class.
“I filled out a survey at the end of the year with a few questions for the schools about how they were doing and if any adjustments needed to be made. 100 percent said to maintain the status quo. The schools have improved dramatically,” Metzger said.
While students may be frustrated that they can’t use their cell phones in class, some have noticed.
“At graduation, one of the seniors came up to me and thanked me, saying that the new policies had helped him get better grades,” Metzger said.
A new Minnesota law will require school districts to implement cell phone usage policies by next May, and school boards in cities like Detroit Lakes are debating how to handle cell phones in the future.
Metzger believes their approach should encourage other schools to seriously consider a plan like theirs.
“If we want our students to learn more, we’re going to have to bring order to this issue and maybe take some bold steps, and I think we’ve done that here at Shanley High School,” Metzger said.
Metzger said since initiating the cell phone policy at Shanley, he has had administrators from the local, regional and beyond inquire about its progress.