SCCPSS and other Georgia school districts set their own cell phone policies

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series that will take a closer look at topics discussed by Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) leaders and Chatham County Board of Education members during their fall integration meeting on August 21 and 22. on the Georgia Tech-Savannah campus.

The STEM Academy at Bartlett Middle School (207 E Montgomery Cross Road) operated by the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) has incorporated a new electronics policy into its student handbook, effective Aug. 1. Students now place their personal cellphones in a locked box that holds up to 24 phones, from the first bell to the last, said Principal Lydia Taylor.

One student told her he liked the new policy because it made the school feel calmer. But he told her he kept a calculator in his pocket because it looked like a phone.

“That says a lot about how attached these kids are,” she said.

Youth mental health research, such as a 2020 National Institutes of Health study, found that smartphone and social media use can cause “sleep deprivation and negative effects on cognitive control, academic performance, and socioemotional functioning.”

The Pew Research Center released a report in June that found that 72% of high school teachers agree that “cellphone distraction is a serious problem in the classroom.”

SCCPSS Academic Director Derrick Butler opened the topic for discussion with school board members during the fall retreat on Wednesday, Aug. 21, as part of the Cell Phone (Electronic Devices) Policy & Practices Exploration. The district is planning an in-depth review of its electronic device policy amid a wave of bans in states and school districts from California to Ohio, Arkansas and Virginia.

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What is the current SCCPSS policy?

The SCCPSS Student Code of Conduct details student use of electronic devices – Policy JCDAF-R(1), which essentially places all restrictions on the use of personal electronic devices on each school, with language that allows for responsibility to rest with teachers or school staff. The policy was originally adopted on July 11, 2012 and last amended on May 11, 2022.

SCCPSS students’ use of personal electronic devices “is permitted but not required and must be consistent with the vision, mission, and goals of the Public Education Board,” according to the policy. For students who fail to comply with the policy, there is a three-tiered infraction structure that can result in confiscation of their personal device for the day or until a parent/guardian retrieves the device, as well as other disciplinary actions.

Butler’s presentation highlighted that several high schools and middle schools, such as STEM, across the district are in the process of piloting a school-wide policy. One high school required students to turn in their phones at the beginning of each period, but they are given them back at the end of each period.

“Our first suggestion is, please keep your devices at home,” Taylor said of STEM’s approach. School leaders and educators have written a policy to “restore the learning environment” to students, she said, citing that STEM is an accelerated school where such distractions can set a student back. STEM is also a one-on-one technology school, meaning we provide all the technology a student needs, such as a tablet.

Taylor said students and families were informed of the new policy through the school newsletter, social media and at an open house. Students have responded well, she said, gradually adjusting to the new policy over the first week, with minimal disciplinary action needed so far. She said she hears more conversations in the hallways between classes now than she did last year, when students would wander the hallways with their eyes glued to screens and nodding to music from headphones.

Lily Brown, a mother of a sixth-grade science student, said her student doesn’t have a cellphone, but he does have an iWatch, but he leaves it at home.

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Georgia and the country

Superintendent Denise Watts, Ed.D., said of other school districts’ policy updates that “I haven’t seen a successful model because I don’t think one has been implemented yet,” noting that many of those who have made changes are just implementing them this year.

Georgia has no state law prohibiting public school students from using electronic devices in schools. The Georgia Department of Education does not provide guidance or policy recommendations. Like the U.S. Department of Education, however, in May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a warning with recommendations for policymakers, technology companies, parents and guardians, and children and youth.

Closer to Savannah, Effingham County Schools recently passed a new, five-step cellphone disciplinary policy. In Augusta, Richmond County Public Schools established a policy that prohibits the use of “cell phones, electronic communication devices, and/or accessories throughout the school day.” As of Aug. 19, a student petition to reverse the restrictions has garnered nearly 6,000 signatures, according to WRDW Augusta. The Marietta City School Board voted in June to implement a ban that went into effect Aug. 1 that includes placing the devices in magnetic bags.

Some states have had elected officials step into the fray. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order July 9 that established “cell-free education in public schools.” Draft guidelines for cell-free education were then released on Aug. 15 and are expected to be finalized by Sept. 16. California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote a letter urging schools to limit cellphone use in line with what the Los Angeles Unified School District plans to implement starting in January 2025. The California legislature introduced Assembly Bill 3216 in February. While it’s not as stringent as Virginia or California, Ohio passed House Bill 250, and Gov. Mike DeWine signed it into law in May. The bill calls on school districts to develop a formal cellphone policy if they don’t already have one.

There are currently no federal or state guidelines in Georgia, so it’s unclear how quickly SCCPSS will update its policy (if at all) or develop an outright ban. Butler emphasized that more research is needed due to the complexity of the issue.

Joseph Schwartzburt is an education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at [email protected].