Forsyth County Schools propose cellphone limits during school day, pair policy with Chromebook plan

Forsyth County Schools officials presented a proposed distraction-free education policy that would require students at elementary and middle schools to keep cell phones and personal electronic devices turned off and stored out of sight during the bell-to-bell school day and allow high school students to access devices only during their assigned lunch period.

The proposal, presented by Dr. Amy Bartlett, associate superintendent of teaching and learning, would place the new rules within the district’s JCDAF appropriate-use policy and open the draft to 30 days of public comment before the board takes further action. Bartlett said the policy “is to create environments free from the distraction of cell phones and personal electronic devices” and that the district is “committed to ensuring our students are provided with every opportunity to focus on their learning and engage in positive interactions to support their well-being.”

Why it matters: the proposal responds to local stakeholder feedback and new state legislation directing local systems to adopt distracted-learning rules for younger students. District leaders said the measure is intended both to sharpen classroom focus and to reduce social and emotional…