BATH, Maine — Another Maine school district will implement restrictions on cellphone and smart device use during class.
The RSU 1 School Board voted last week to eliminate the use of cellphones and smartwatches during school hours for students grades 6-12.
RSU 1 serves Bath, West Bath, Phippsburg, Arrowsic, and Woolwich.
Board members conducted surveys with district families and staff to gage their thoughts on if cellphones should be used in class. The board also studied research on how distracting phones can be in school and looked at how any sort of ban could potentially improve students' mental health and academic success.
“We all have some adjustments to do, but we believe it's for the welfare of the kids," Lou Ensel, chairperson of the board, said. "If we want them to focus on their studies and be happier, we really need to look at a cell phone policy. This is a culture shift, right?”
Ensel said the policy was proposed and discussed during public meetings, and the board was able to study responses from more than 400 family members, more than 300 students, and more than 150 staff members, according to data provided by the district.
The majority of staff and parents who responded said the use of cellphones "hinders face-to-face interaction," and the majority of staff said cell phone use distracts from learning.
According to the survey results, the majority of staff also said they observed negative or hurtful communication between students on cellphones during school hours.
However, the majority of responding students said they do not feel distracted by their cellphone during class or feel that using phones during school affects their social relationships.
Starting this fall, students will put their devices in a school-issued Yondr pouch which will "lock" the devices during school hours. Then, at the end of the day or when students leave, they can unlock the magnetic pouch.
Ensel said students and parents will be able to utilize the office phone if they need to communicate during the school day. He added that he and other district leaders will work to address parents and students' concerns when they arise.
"We know [there will] be adjustments, we know we’ll have to work out quirks, we're good with that," Ensel explained. "We just know that this is the right direction. So, again, we want the kids to be happy, we want the kids to be focused, and we really feel that by doing this, this is the direction we’re going to move in."
There are consequences in place for students who break policy, according to a letter sent out to district families.
School districts like South Portland, Westbrook, and Lewiston have already implemented similar cellphone policies in their districts.
“I think it’s nice to know that you put something in place that seems to be helping the kids," Jake Langlais, superintendent of Lewiston Public Schools, said.
In Lewiston, cellphone use is not allowed in elementary schools, and middle school students cannot use phone during school hours. High school students are unable to use their phones during class unless given permission.
“We actually had middle school kids towards the end of last year, explore and ask about whether or not we’d consider banning them at the high school because they felt like their schooling experience actually improved when they couldn’t check their phone," Langlais said.
He added that constantly communicating and working with students and staff about the policy and any punishments has been a big help.
Parents across Maine are also advocating for more thoughtful use of technology when it comes to their kids.
Annie Ware is one of the leading members of the RSU5 Alliance for Thoughtful Technology, which is part of a larger coalition of southern Maine groups called Turn The Tide.
The coalition advocates for no smartphone use before high school, no social media before the age of 16, no phones in schools, and more free and independent play, according to its website. The coalition has a mission to unite parents and school staff to help students balance technology in the digital age.
“At this point in time, we’re just trying to understand as community members and as parents, 'Am I alone in my feelings about technology use, specifically smartphones at home, at school, and social media and how it effects our children?'" Ware explained.
While these groups are relatively new, Ware said they were inspired by the book "The Anxious Generation," which dives into research highlighting the dangers of social media and smartphones as it relates to social development and mental health.
Last month, the U.S. surgeon general called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms, citing those platforms as a factor in the youth mental health crisis.
Ware said if more elementary and middle school students are less consumed by social media and phones, then they can see mental health benefits and won't develop addictive habits to their devices by the time they reach high school, which can help them develop as adults.
“I think that getting kids off these devices, and it’s so cliché, [but getting them] outside, I think is life changing," she added.
Ware said these groups will continue to hear from other Maine parents, provide them with information as it becomes available, and listen to any concerns or ideas, which could lead to eventually proposing policy changes within more school districts.