The Philomath School District will implement a bell-to-bell ban on personal electronic devices this fall as part of a strategy to build on last year’s limits while moving toward compliance with Gov. Tina Kotek’s executive order.
The July 2 executive order requires schools to prohibit K-12 students from using personal electronic devices during the entire school day, including lunch periods, breaks and time between classes.
The new policy represents a significant shift for the district’s middle and high school students, who were previously allowed to use devices during breaks and lunch periods.
“We implemented a lot of that last year, however, at the middle school and the high school level, they were allowed during break time and at lunchtime,” Superintendent Susan Halliday told the Philomath School Board at its Aug. 14 meeting. “This is no longer the intent or the case with the law.”
The state defines personal electronic devices as “any portable electrically powered device that is capable of making and receiving calls and text messages and accessing the internet independently from the school’s network infrastructure.”
Cellphones, smartwatches, tablets and smartglasses fall under the definition but laptops and other devices required for academic activities are excluded.
While the governor’s executive order mandates a bell-to-bell cellphone ban, districts retain some discretion over enforcement methods and exemptions. Exceptions must be made for students with specific medical needs and individualized education programs.
Under the new rules, students will be allowed to keep phones in their pockets or backpacks as long as they remain unseen and unheard. Parents will need to call the school office if a message needs to be delivered to their student. Or, parents should expect students to not read or respond to messages until after school.
Districts must adopt formal policies by Oct. 31, with implementation required by Jan. 1. However, Philomath Schools plans to begin enforcement in September.
“The feeling was we’ve been so much into what we had worked on last year to implement other than breaks and lunch that we were in a good space to continue and grow,” Halliday said. “While formal policy language is still being written for approval, Philomath Schools will be starting the school year with this requirement in place.”
The district will spend September educating students about the new requirements with age-appropriate consequences beginning Sept. 29. Information sessions will be offered during open houses on Sept. 17.
Board member Ryan Cheeke expressed concerns about enforcement, questioning what would prevent students from asking for bathroom breaks to use their phones. Halliday said staff will monitor how frequently students request to leave classrooms.
The policy presents unique challenges for Philomath High School’s open campus where it seems probable that some students may walk off school grounds to use their devices.
Board member Tom Klipfel stressed the importance of consistent enforcement.
“From what I hear around the community, enforcement in the high school is not very robust. … If we don’t have the will to enforce it, then it’s all pointless,” he said.
Halliday acknowledged those concerns and said the district plans to present a draft policy next month.
Despite the restrictions, a parent survey conducted last school year showed most families wanted students to have access to their devices, particularly for safety-related emergencies. Parents will now need to call school offices to deliver messages to students.
Halliday noted that electronic devices haven’t been a significant problem in the district, particularly at the elementary level. At least one high school teacher implemented a voluntary no-phone policy last year using shoe pouches and reported improved classroom communication as a result.
Klipfel suggested framing the policy positively during opening assemblies, telling students the ban isn’t punishment but an opportunity for authentic face-to-face interactions.
“For generations, your parents, grandparents lived life without their cellphone and had a rich, engaging life one-on-one with real people,” he said about what administrators might want to tell students. “Cellphones are a convenient tool, they’re not an experience — you should not be living life through them.”
Halliday said the Oregon School Boards Association has provided districts with sample policies to guide implementation of the statewide requirement.
“Strap yourselves in but this is definitely the right trajectory,” Klipfel said. “It should have happened 10 years ago.”
Freshman shouldn’t be allowed off campus for lunch anyways