Colorado Springs private school bans cellphones for students while on campus
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - St. Mary's High School implemented a cellphone ban for students while on campus. The private Catholic school implemented the "no cellphone policy" in August, joining the elementary schools that already had the ban in place.
Staff at the school said students are allowed to keep it in their backpack or their locker, but it has to be completely shut off. Students cannot take it out while they're at school.
The principal of St. Mary's High School, Robyn Cross, said they were having issues with students at the high school level focusing on their work in the classroom due to endless distractions from the device. She said students were using social media apps and texting during class time.
Cross understands that parents want to remain in contact with their children during the school day. However, they're asking parents to go through the main office. They said an administrator would communicate with the student and relay their message.
Superintendent for Catholic schools in the dioceses of Colorado Springs Sheila Whalen said they have tried to implement less strict cell phone policies in the past, but they simply did not work.
"We're trying to help them learn. You can live for eight hours without your cell phone," said Whalen.
The private Catholic school claims student test scores increased by 6.4% in schools that prohibit cell phone use during the day. Leaders at the school also said the research showed that teenagers who spend three hours or more on their phones every day are 35% more likely to take their own lives, compared with peers who spend an hour or less on their phones.
"Our children are becoming addicted. Adults are addicted to their cell phone. So it's just recognizing that there's not really an educational need for that cell phone from during the school day. We have other technology and we have telephones, offices, parents can call," said Whalen.
Whalen said not all students loved it at first, but they're coming around, and it's going smoothly.
Other schools across the nation that are participating in the “Away for the Day” program include
Bowman County High School in North Dakota, Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona, Cohasset
Middle School in Massachusetts, and Marin School District in California.
