Baltimore City school board votes to implement cellphone policy in 2025-26 school year
Baltimore City schools will implement a cellphone ban policy in the 2025-26 school year. The school board voted to pass the ban during a meeting on Tuesday.
The district has been considering the idea for some time.
During the 2024-25 school year, the district tested different phone policies at 25 schools, and in June 2024, they asked community members to weigh in.
The district said it received more than 1,000 survey responses from students and 540 responses from parents.
About 74% of students who responded to the survey said they were more focused in class under the pilot program, and 69% said it was easier for them to learn.
About 30% of surveyed parents identified guidelines that should be in place in case of emergencies during school.
The cellphone policy was revised based on outcomes from the pilot programs.
The goal of a cellphone policy
According to the board of education, the goal of the phone and electronic device policy is to mitigate distractions and enhance the learning environment for students.
"Having friends and families and colleagues who are educators around the state and country, this is something that all educators everywhere are facing," Board of Education member Emily Ames-Messinger said during the Tuesday meeting. "I'm excited to see how the board can support this work in actually implementing it fully next year."
District leaders cited research that showed excessive use of social media can lead to depression, anxiety and eating disorders in students. Their research also found that social media platforms can impact school climates and contribute to bullying, fights and acting out for attention.
Following this research, the district took action in July 2023 by filing a lawsuit against the owners of five major social media companies.
On the other hand, research showed limiting cellphone usage in learning spaces increased student engagement and focus, made instructional time more efficient and led to fewer disciplinary problems and conflicts between students.
Guidelines of the cellphone policy
Baltimore City School's approved policy defines electronic communication devices as cellphones, tablets, laptops, wireless headphones and smart watches.
The policy dictates that devices have to be turned off and put away during the school day, including during recess, lunch and passing periods.
Students will be allowed to use school-issued devices for instructional purposes and teachers will need approval from the principal if they want students to use their personal devices for learning.
During emergencies, students will be able to access their devices with permission from school administrators. If a personal emergency arises, students can access a school phone to contact their guardians.
District officials said a documented plan will be shared with schools before the plan is implemented.
Students protest cellphone policy in Howard County
Howard County Public Schools implemented a similar cellphone policy in March.
The policy prohibits students from using their phones during any point in the school day. Students who do not comply could have their device confiscated until the end of the day.
Shortly after the policy was implemented, students at several Howard County schools held protests.
"The implementation has been very successful so far, but as anticipated, it is not fully supported by all," Atholton High School Principal Nick Novak said in a statement.