KANSAS CITY – A task force appointed by the Kansas Board of Education is recommending a ban on cellphones in schools. The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Screen Student Time overwhelming voted recently to approve a total ban on phones for all grade levels during the school day.
The task force is recommending a bell-to-bell policy, meaning students would not be able to get their phones throughout the school day, including during lunch and passing periods.
The task force, formed earlier this year, was tasked by the KS BOE with finding ways to curb rampant phone use in classrooms. The task force includes school district superintendents, principals, school board members, and teachers as well as students and parents plus members of the state BOE and Legislature.
According to the task force, the concern over cellphone use is primarily about students’ mental health and ability to learn effectively. Any recommendations made by the task force will not necessarily become the standard for schools. Any policy changes are ultimately left up to individual school districts.