DuPage County parents: What you need to know about school cellphone rules

When Robyn Fardy first began teaching social studies at Downers Grove South High School, modern-age cellphones were a couple of years from mass release.

Today, the seasoned teacher and mother of three, said navigating cellphone use in schools can be very dependent on the “rapport teachers build with students.”

“Building a rapport of trust and respect means that they are likely more willing to follow any rule that a teacher sets forth for them,” Fardy said.

Early in the school year, Fardy broaches the subject of cellphones.

“My rule is if your mom is texting you” she asks that the student respond and then quickly put the phone away.

“I understand that because it is the world we live in, the students do have their phones on them,” Fardy said.

Many times, ironically, Fardy said, “It is the parents texting the students.”

This is one of the conundrums facing school administrators across the state and country.

On one hand, parents want access to their children – to ask what score they got on a test, keep them updated on a pickup location and for students to quickly contact parents or authorities in case of emergency.

However, parents also do not want cellphones eating into instruction time, taking away from face-to-face social interactions or making online bullying more prevalent.

Restrictions on cellphone use in schools have increased in the past year nationally as some educators see them as distractions to learning and studies indicate the negative impact of social media on youth as phone use rises.

In the past year, 10 states including Indiana have passed legislation regarding cellphones in the classroom. Other states banning cellphones in the classroom include Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana, while Alabama strongly encourages every school district to set a policy.

In a recent study, 77% of schools in the U.S. said they restrict cellphones outside of academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

While some school districts have banned cellphones, others have implemented policies where students must put their phone in a designated spot during the duration of the class period.

The Illinois School Code allows but does not require school districts to create policies regarding students’ cellphone use.

“Many boards have adopted cellphone policies that include Illinois Association of School Board’s sample language,” said Kara Kienzler, associate executive director, communications and production services, for the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Kienzler said the policy may prohibit the use of cellphones or require them to be kept powered off or silenced and out of sight during the regular school day unless permitted otherwise.

“It provides flexibility for the district to implement local policies and procedures for cellphone use that provide an environment conducive to student learning,” Kienzler said.

Fardy’s approach is one of teaching students “how to use their phones responsibly rather than saying if I see it out you are suspended.”

The approach is consistent with the policy of Fardy’s school district, Community High School District 99, which does not have a total ban on cellphones in the classroom.

District 99 policy states that to decrease distractions, personal electronic devices must be silenced and not used in classroom settings.

In addition, electronic devices are not permitted in areas of privacy such as washrooms, locker rooms and the nurse’s office.

Fardy said she is “pretty old school” in the classroom, often still using paper and pencil over Chromebooks and focusing on classroom discussions, interpersonal learning, group interactions and building relationships.

Before the pandemic, Fardy would walk into a classroom full of chatter.

“Now I walk in and it is dead silence. Everyone is sitting in their seat looking at their phone,” she said.

Electronic devices are permitted in Downers Grove Grade School District 58 schools, but prohibited during school hours.

“In July 2022, after a lot of work with the district policy committee, school board members, parents, community members and district staff, we made the decision to prohibit electronic devices during the school day,” Superintendent Kevin Russell said.

The district serves 5,150 students in 11 elementary schools, two middle schools and one preschool program and Russell said by the time students get to fifth grade a significant portion have cellphones and by middle school most students have cellphones.

“In addition to Apple watches and things like that,” he said.

“Students are still permitted to bring a phone to school. They can use it outside of school and outside of school hours,” Russell said.

During school hours, the phones must be shut off and out of sight “so we don’t have distractions,” he said.

“Our kids are great kids and they deserve to be in school without having to be connected to a cellphone or worrying about what their friends are doing,” Russell said.

Before the policy’s implementation, Russell said the cafeteria would be filled with “hundreds of kids on their phones.”

“Now when we go into the cafeteria, we will see kids talking to each other and making friends,” Russell said. “It is such a better environment for kids. It allows kids to be kids without having to worry about the distraction and everything else that comes along with social media.”

The action was speared in part by teacher concern that “something needed to be done” because of the distractions and discipline issues that can arise from cellphone use, Russell said.

“From kids texting each other, sending things they shouldn’t,” he said.

The policy has been well-received by parents, students and staff, Russell said.

“Our teachers have really appreciated not having one more thing to police in schools,” he said.

In Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, cellphones and other electronic devices are allowed in schools. However, they must remain turned off and out of sight during the school day.

According to the policy, cellphones are permitted before 8:30 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m.

If students are caught using their cellphones and electronic devices inappropriately, disciplinary consequences will be assigned including the loss of privileges.

“Student cellphone usage is a topic frequently discussed and leaders are continuously exploring procedural shifts to ensure that students remain highly engaged in learning,” said Tonya Daniels, chief of staff and communications for District 205.

“We have recently been in contact with nearby districts to learn about their procedures and collaborate around processes that are sustainable, effective and can be implemented with fidelity,” she said.

In Community Unit School District 200, which includes Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South high schools, its policy states that “using a cellular telephone or another electronic device” could be considered prohibited misconduct and subject to disciplinary action.

According to district policy, all electronic devices must be turned off and out of sight during the regular school day unless approved by the building principal, supervising teacher, part of a student’s IEP or needed in case of an emergency.

At the district’s middle and elementary schools, cellphones must be turned off and out of sight during the regular school day unless authorized and approved by the building principal.

In Glenbard Township High School District 87, all electronic devices much be kept off and out of sight during the school day with a few exceptions.

However, unlike many other school districts, cellphones may be used during the student’s lunch period.

Montini Catholic High School’s policy, which permits students to carry their cellphones during the school day, states they must be turned off and out of sight. It “works well” at the private school of about 550 students, said Alexxis Johnson, assistant principal for student services.

However, “this does not mean students are without any electronics,” Johnson said.

Each Montini student is equipped with their own iPad.

“If there was ever an emergency, students can go to an administrative office and call home,” Johnson said.

At lunchtime, iPads and cellphones need to be turned off, she said.

“It really is a time to socialize,” Johnson said, noting the lunch period is only 25 minutes long so students “need to get their food, sit down, eat, have a break and head back to class.”