New limits on cell phone use at Iowa City schools are in the works, though a final decision may not come until October.
In the Iowa City Community School Board’s final meeting before the start of the 2024-2-25 school year, directors discussed the use of cell phones and other electronic devices during the school day. The work session was an extension of discussions that began in the Iowa Legislature in January.
At least one Iowa district has considered broad limitations on cell phone use.
ICCSD Superintendent Matt Degner on Tuesday said the board discussed the negative effects of heavy cell phone use, which are detailed in the first part of the 2024 book , “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.”
A survey will soon be available to parents, students, and district staff. The survey will ask specific questions and allow for “narrative” free-response comments from each group.