As students, staff, and parents likely already know, on May 15, 2024, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 into law, requiring every school district in Ohio to establish an official policy governing cell phone usage during school hours and aims to minimize student use of cell phones in K-12 schools. This past June, SWCSD passed its revised policy to be compliant with this new state law and, as a result, the use of cell phones will be prohibited during instructional times in all schools.
According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), “Studies show the rise of the use of cell phones contributes to several related harms in the daily lives of smart phone users, including social deprivation, sleep deprivation, and attention fragmentation. For students, these harms may contribute to an increase in youth mental health concerns and have negative impacts on academic performance. Youth mental health symptoms and disorders continue to rise at concerning levels in the United States, with at least 1 in 5 children reporting mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorders.
At South-Western City Schools, the inherent goal with this revised electronic device policy is to increase student attentiveness and time on task in the classroom while also reducing the amount of distractions that inhibit learning. Heading into the 2024-2025 school year, students will be expected to have devices on silent mode and out of sight to keep their attentiveness on learning.
When students return to campus August 21, and in particular in our middle and high school students, they will encounter what the district is calling the #BePresent campaign. #BePresent is a call to action and a schoolwide pledge to be fully present in the learning environment by having cell phones on silent and put away. Students and families will encounter the SWCSD #BEPresent movement in the form of posters, newsletters, school websites, and back-to-school student meetings as we all work collaboratively to keep our focus on instruction.
Additional Resources:
Ahead of the start of school, we encourage parents and guardians to help reinforce these expectations and changes with their student. In having those conversations around good digital citizenship habits, reducing screen time, and honoring time set aside for learning in the classroom we have assembed some resources below.
- Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Supports for Families Resources (Link)
- SWCSD Board Policy on Personal Communication Devices (Po5136)
- Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between (Common Sense Media)
- Netsmartz Parent, Education, and Community Resources (Link)
- Sample Family Phone Plans (Waituntil8th.org)
- SWCSD Digital Wellness Resource Page (Link)
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