LEWISTON, Maine — With just days remaining before kids head back to class, school leaders in Lewiston moved forward with a plan to ban cellphone use across the city's schools Monday.
The Lewiston School Committee voted unanimously in favor of policy that restricts the use of phones.
Under the policy, the use of cellphones will be prohibited for students in pre-K through eighth grade. Phones will not be allowed in class for all high schoolers, but students will be allowed outside of class.
The move comes after months of consideration, debate, and even a survey of parents.
Some in the survey voiced concerns about the ability for students to use phones in an emergency, but school leaders ultimately ruled the benefits of the new rule outweighed the risk.
Committee members made minor adjustments to the language of the policy Monday night to clarify how staff and administrators will respond.
The policy also specifically prohibits the use of cellphone cameras in locker rooms, bathrooms, and other places where privacy is expected.
There will be a warning system that would the escalate to confiscation. There could even be the penalty of suspension or expulsion from school if the behavior warrants.
Superintendent Jake Langlais supported the effort saying they have seen a large spike in cellphone use across schools, even among younger students.
"There are so many valuable components to this overall message that would benefit our kids and our community," Langlais said at Monday's meeting. "To be frank, when they go out into the workforce, which is what we're trying to prepare them to do, to focus in college, to focus in those apprenticeship programs so they're prepared for a higher paying wage and being prepared with all those soft skills."
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Lewiston is not the only district in the state to make a move like this.
A new policy banning cellphones at Westbrook Middle School goes into effect this school year.
Langlais said school administrators are prepared to enact the changes immediately. He plans to notify parents soon and share information on how they can better monitor their child's phone use.