Mars Area School District, like others, waiting to see what cellphone policy state adopts
ADAMS TWP — With Pennsylvania moving toward a statewide “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban in schools, places such as Mars Area School District are left in limbo.
Mars school officials are trying to navigate their future approach to students’ cellphone usage as legislation looms. A bill moving through the Pennsylvania General Assembly is expected to be finalized and signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“I don’t really want to predict, but I think it’s most likely coming, that there’s going to be cellphone ban legislation coming for the commonwealth,” superintendent Mark Gross said at a school board meeting Tuesday, July 28.
Local districts have had to discuss cellphone policy, implementation and enforcement with potential changes coming. Recently, Butler Area School District’s board approved the first reading of a policy change that would create a bell-to-bell cellphone ban starting this upcoming school year.
Mars Area High School does not have a strict cellphone policy in place, though it has “practices” in place to control it, principal Lindsay Rosswog said.
Rosswog said she has gathered data of what other local districts have done with student cellphone usage. Some of them have implemented a ban based on time of the day, such as from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Others collect cellphones at the beginning of class.
Concerns over cellphone bans in schools have come from parents worried about being able to contact their child during the day. Meanwhile, teachers have highlighted distraction during instruction time — along with other social and mental side effects — as reasons for implementing a cellphone ban.
“The kids sitting in the middle of the classroom, and they’re more focused on their phone than they are on the instruction going on,” said Todd Kolson, principal at Mars Area Middle School.
The principals and board members acknowledged circumstances can differ by school and by grade level, showing the need to find a “sweet spot” regarding cellphone policy.
“I don’t think there’s a tried or true right answer,” Rosswog said. “My general recommendation was that I think it’s something we need to look at, something we need to talk about, and then make a recommendation to you (the board). I anticipated us tightening it up, even prior to the state telling us if we have to or not, because it is a distraction.”
A survey is being sent to staff to gather feedback on cellphone policy, Gross said. Meanwhile, districts such as Mars will have to see what the state implements, and determine what to implement themselves.
“I think the research is clear, and that’s why the state of Pennsylvania is moving toward a cellphone ban. I personally think we should wait and see what that is, and continue with current procedures until we see what they come up with,” Kolson said.
