Promising results in first month of cell phone ban at Hoover High School

DES MOINES, Iowa — Hoover High School started the school year with a new cell phone policy banning phones in the classroom . So far, it’s showing signs of success.

Dr. Ian Roberts, the Superintendent of the Des Moines Public School District, said that an increase in attendance at Hoover High School is in part due to the cell phone ban.

“Early indicators from Hoover High School are very encouraging. Case in point: for the same period last year, students’ average daily attendance was at about 76%. This year and that attendance is, I think about 86%, which speaks volumes. And of course, right, while there are other factors, Qynne Kelly and team are attributing some of the early successes to how we’re looking at the implementation of our cell phone policy.” Dr. Robert said.

Hoover High School is a pilot program for what DMPS could implement district-wide when it comes to a cell phone ban.

“Hoover really bodes well for what is to come. Here’s what we plan to do in terms of strategy and timeline. At the end of the first semester, sometime in mid-to-late January, our data assessment and evaluation team and I are going to collaborate with our school leader and leadership team and Hoover, look at the data, look at an evaluation, and then we’re going to make the decision there and then about how we roll out a sort of much wider, if you may, cellphone policy adjustment,” Dr. Roberts said.

Students at Hoover have also noticed a change since the school year started.

“And I first, honestly, I was like, this is so stupid. Like, what difference is this going to make?” Hushindi Abwe, a Hoover High School Student said. “Well, like, as time goes on, I can actually like, see like an improvement in, like my mental health or overall and like how I’m doing in classes. So I feel like it has been a positive thing so far.”

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