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OGDEN — Heeding the concerns of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Ogden High School has updated its cellphone policy to require every classroom to have a "secure cellphone locker" for students to store their phones during class.
The policy will go into effect on Monday, Feb. 5, according to a letter from Ogden High administration that was sent to parents and students.
One of the school's primary improvement goals, according to the letter, is to foster academic engagement in all classrooms.
"Our commitment to this goal has led both educators and administrators to examine common barriers for student achievement, engagement and motivation," the letter says. "Based on the data gathered by teachers and administrators, cellphone usage within the classroom continues to be the biggest distraction, which takes away from valuable instructional time."
Under the new policy, students will also be allowed to store cellphones in their backpacks but if one is seen during class, the school has another policy in place to address the use.
It's essentially a three-strike system with increasing levels of discipline. On the first offense, the student's phone will be placed in a cellphone locker to be picked up by an administrator and collected by the student from the main office at the end of the day. The administrator will also have a conference with the student and notify parents or guardians of the behavior.
The process of the second offense is the same as the first, but instead of the student collecting their phone from the main office at the end of the day, a parent will be required to pick it up.
The third offense will follow the same procedures as the first and second, except "an additional parent meeting will be scheduled and a plan put in place for student success," according to the policy.
Ogden High School's new policy comes after Cox voiced his support for cellphone-free classrooms in Utah.
In a letter to school community council members that was referenced in Ogden High's letter to parents and students, the governor said learning improves when phones are kept in lockers or backpacks.
"Distractions are fewer, student engagement increases and opportunities for human connection are fostered. Students across our state have told me they are worried about the effects of overuse of social media and other distracting apps on their mental health and peer relationships," Cox said in the letter.
Cell phone-free learning environments will help our teachers teach and our students learn. We want to give Utah schools every opportunity to succeed – and we all know that cell phones are a distraction in the classroom. I hope schools around Utah will join me in developing…
— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) January 10, 2024
During the 2023 legislative session, HB270 sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, sought to ban both cellphones and smartwatches from K-12 public school classrooms.
"There are a lot of harmful side effects that we're seeing from cellphones when it comes to children," Lee said regarding his bill. "We've seen massive increases in mental health problems that are coming from phone use ... in the current public education system."
The bill ultimately failed by a 9-3 vote after hours of debate in the House Education Committee with Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, and Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, voting in favor of the bill.
Through the new policy, Ogden High School joins a growing list of schools in different districts banning cellphones, including Delta High School in Millard School District and Evergreen Junior High in Granite School District, among others.
"We look forward to many positive outcomes from having phone-free classrooms. These positive outcomes could include; increased grades, better mental health, decreased cyber bullying, increased interaction with peers and teachers, improved time management, etc," Ogden High's letter to parents and students says.
It remains to be seen how many other districts and schools will follow suit.
