Back to school: Students ditch electronic devices

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Students may not be able to bring their phones into the classroom anymore.

Many school districts have implemented the new restriction. It comes after state lawmakers passed a law mandating school districts establish policies surrounding electronics.

It’s been an ongoing debate among parents about the benefits and drawbacks of banning electronic devices in schools. While many acknowledge the potential distractions posed by cell phones, others emphasized the need to have direct communication during emergencies.

“Obviously, we are worried about distraction in the classroom with social media and stuff,” said Michael Long, a Brown County resident and parent. “But, the other side of that coin is security now. We’ve all become so used to the stuff that happens in schools.”

For parents like Michael Long from the Indian Creek school system, this new regulation raises significant safety concerns as their policy is to now leave cellphones behind in lockers.

“We are worried she won’t have communication, and she’s a little worried with that,” Long said. “The procedures we put in place with her. We told her what to do in addition to the school. That’s our only concern with the policy is that the school handles security issues and notifications.”

Long says cell phones can help during an emergency or natural disaster.

“Obviously, they have worries we didn’t have when we went to school,” Long said. “There’s been days when there’s been a threat and she’s heard about it, and didn’t want to go to school. So, I think that’s a little uneasiness.”

Other school districts like Whiteland Schools have long-standing strict technology policies mandating students to leave phones at their lockers. These policies will continue with no changes.

Terry Terhune, superintendent of Greenwood Community Schools Corporation, has engaged in extensive discussions to gauge the impact of the new law.

“I would say the biggest thing is cellphones,” Terhune said. “Our policies really didn’t significantly change. We’ve had things in place where students shouldn’t have them in class, or at least out in class. They may have it in their backpack, and that’s fine.”

As for Greenwood Community Schools Corporation, Terhune thinks they were very relaxed with the policies in the past.

“Maybe we’ve been lax in the past,” Terhune said. “We will now be a little more like, ‘Hey, we can’t do this because of our state laws in place,’ and continue on like what we’ve been doing previously.”

As the academic year unfolds, schools, parents, and students will have to adapt to these new norms while balancing safety and learning in educational settings.