Why is our district adopting a device-free policy?
The Minnesota state legislature is requiring all school districts to adopt a cellphone use policy by March 2025. In Stillwater Area Public Schools, we’ve adopted a phone-free policy that includes personal devices (phones, earbuds, smartwatches, etc.) as a way to prioritize the academic success and emotional well-being of our students.
What is the new policy?
Policy 524.5: Personal Electronic Communication Devices prohibits the student use of personal electronic devices like phones, smart watches and earbuds. Under the policy:
- All students (preK-12) are prohibited from using personal electronic communication devices on school premises from the first bell of the school day to the last. This includes instructional time, lunch periods, recess, school-sponsored programs, events or activities, or any other time during the designated school day.
- All personal electronic communication devices shall be kept in designated areas and turned off.
When will the new policy be implemented?
The new policy will be implemented at the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Where will phones be stored?
Phones and personal devices brought to school will be stored in a locked cabinet or lockbox at the start of each school day. Students will have time at the end of the school day to retrieve their devices prior to dismissal. Exact procedures are school-specific.
Note: Students who choose to bring a device to school do so at their own risk. School and/or school staff is not liable for lost, stolen, or damaged devices.
What is included in a cellphone and personal electronic device definition?
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Cellphones (both phones that connect to the internet and non-internet connected phones that send and receive text messages and make phone calls)
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Personal electronic devices such as electronic tablets and video games
- Airpods, earbuds and Bluetooth connected headphones
- Smartwatches and fitness trackers that connect to the internet (including Gizmos and other kids watches)
- Wearable devices, like smart glasses
How can I contact my student during the school day?
Parents and/or guardians who need to contact their student or notify them of a change in schedule during the school day, may do so by calling the main office. A message will be taken and delivered to the student. Families may also email their secondary students on their school-issued devices.
Contacting your child via their phone or smartwatch during the school day distracts them from their studies and the needed in-person interaction with their teachers and peers.
What if my child needs to contact me during the school day?
If the student needs to contact their parent or guardian during the school day, a phone will be available in the main office.
What if my child needs their phone in case of a crisis or lockdown at the school?
School security experts say phones can make children less safe in crisis situations for the following reasons:
- Student use of cellphones during an unfolding emergency can distract their attention from safety and emergency response directions being given by school staff.
- Cellphone use by students can hamper rumor control and, in doing so, disrupt and delay effective public safety personnel response.
- Alerts and light from a phone could actually alert an intruder to a student’s location.
- Cellphone use by students can impede public safety response by accelerating parental and community arrival at the scene of an emergency during times when officials may be attempting to evacuate students to another site.
- Victims and worried family members trying to get through can jam communications interfering with first responders.
[National School Safety and Security Services]
Why is it important to allow our children to be independent during the school day?
Students need to be given independence from their parents or guardians during the school day to develop foundational skills. Constant contact can fuel a cycle of anxiety for both students and parents. Research shows encouraging independence fosters a child’s self-confidence, resilience, problem-solving ability, and mental health. [The Anxious Generation, Dr. Jonathan Haidt]
What about students who need their phone or device for medical reasons or to help with communication?
Some of our students do utilize phones or devices to manage their health or meet other specific learning needs, and they will be allowed to do so under the new phone-free policy. We will continue to honor Individualized Educational Plans (IEP) or 504 plans that requires the use of a personal device. This decision will be made in consultation with our Student Support Services team.
