Lawrence Board approves districtwide 'cell phone‑free instruction' policy to start Jan. 6

The Lawrence Board of Education on Dec. 9 unanimously adopted board policy JCAA (Cell phones and electronic devices), directing district schools to implement cell phone‑free instructional time beginning Jan. 6, 2025. The board's vote followed a presentation by interim Superintendent Dr. Swift and a public comment period.

Dr. Swift framed the policy as an effort to reduce classroom distractions and “lift up the teaching and learning that occur every day in our classrooms,” saying “as of January 6, the Lawrence Public Schools will implement cell phone free instruction.” The policy prescribes different rules by grade band: elementary students will not have phones out during the school day and phones should remain in backpacks; middle‑school phone use is prohibited during the school day with limited principal‑approved incentives or brief exceptions; high‑school students may not use phones during class time but may check them during passing periods or lunch if they have demonstrated the responsibility to do so.

The superintendent outlined a rollout plan that includes staff and principal training, family outreach, site‑level education activities during January–March (including book discussions of The Anxious Generation and screenings of the documentary Screenagers), and an initial set of unannounced classroom phone counts by district staff to measure compliance and inform adjustments.

Trustees asked for clarifications about medical exceptions and special‑education accommodations. Dr. Swift said the district will use existing processes for accommodations (IEP or 504 plans) and record accommodations in PowerSchool so that students with medically necessary devices are exempted through established protocols. She said staff would work with families when a device is needed for a medical reason that is not already documented in an IEP or 504.

During public comment, residents expressed both support and concerns. One commenter (public commenter, speaker 12) said, “cell phones are going to be banned” and described observing heavy iPad use and diminished handwriting instruction; another urged trustees to monitor emerging research and the results of other districts’ experiments. Board members and staff said they expect to review the policy’s implementation and return to refine procedures as needed.

A trustee moved to adopt the policy following second reading. The motion carried on a roll call vote with all seven trustees voting yes (Costello; Franklin; Gordon Ross; Jones; Kimball; Byers; Kadu Blackwood). The board directed administration to proceed with the communicated implementation steps and to report back on early data and any recommended policy refinements.

The policy allows for documented medical accommodations handled through standard district procedures and signals that principals and teachers will support a period of culture change rather than immediate punitive responses. The board said it will monitor implementation and revisit the policy if needed.