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District reports early success with stricter cell‑phone rules at middle and high schools
Summary
District principals and the superintendent reported the new rule keeping middle‑schoolers' phones away from 7:20 a.m. to 2:06 p.m. has gone smoothly; a high school survey showed staff support but far lower student enthusiasm for the policy.
Prior Lake‑Savage Area Schools leaders told the board on May 5 that new limits on cell‑phone use at the middle and high school levels have been implemented this year and are largely meeting expectations.
Principal Kabushak (middle school) said staff support drove the change. Middle school students are required to keep phones in backpacks or lockers from 7:20 a.m. (first bell) until 2:06 p.m. Kabushak said the policy “has gone well” and that staff initially collected “a couple phones a day” while communications with families and repeated classroom reminders helped with compliance. He said the district needs to do more outreach to parents because “the number one rule breakers are the parents texting their students during the school day.”
High school principal George Biesek said the high school limited phones to class time — “cell phones off during class time” — and that a midyear survey of about 105 staff and roughly 1,500 students showed a large gap between staff and student perceptions. Biesek reported that 89% of staff agreed or strongly agreed that the policy had a positive impact on students’ ability to focus, while about 20% of students said the same. Staff responses showed 80% thought students interacted more with peers while students rated that effect at 15%. When asked if the district should continue the policy, 83% of staff supported continuation versus 14% of students.
Board members asked whether the district has seen measurable academic gains; administrators said it is difficult to isolate cell‑phone policy as a single causal factor and that comments about improved focus and fewer phone‑related disruptions are largely anecdotal at this stage. The high school and middle school administrators said teachers report better engagement and fewer phone‑related incidents.
Ending
Administrators said the district will continue quarterly reminders and family outreach, and that the board will be kept informed as the district monitors behavioral and academic indicators.
