A group of Shawnee Mission School District parents has followed up their request for cell phone free schools with a petition to the school board.
The petition, circulated since last week via Google forms, asks the board to create a clear policy on phones and electronic devices. As of last Thursday, it had 300 signatures, said Allison Brimblecom, one of three signers.
The petition springs from an “action meeting” of Shawnee Mission district parents and teachers last Tuesday that was attended by 40 or 50, Brimblecom said. Although it doesn’t give specifics of how the policy should look, “our hope is they will adopt a policy of storing devices from bell to bell,” meaning phones would not be allowed during lunch or passing periods, she said.
School districts throughout the country have grappled with the issue of phone use in school. But bans have sometimes met with opposition from parents worried that their children might need to contact them, especially in an emergency. Student cell phones have also been used to document violent incidents on school property.
Besides advocating for the cell phone policy, the petition also addresses concerns some parents may have about the need for students to have phones for medical reasons or in case of an emergency.
Cell phone use during emergencies can create a chaotic environment during an emergency that makes things worse, the petition says. Students who need a phone for medical reasons could work on an individual basis with the district, it adds.
Brimblecom said a new policy is needed because currently, the responsibility for managing cell phone use lies primarily on teachers and students.
The cell phone petition is an outgrowth of a discussion at a school board meeting last spring, in which eight people including a student used the public comment session to ask for a clear ban on phones.
Those who favor a ban said it’s needed because of the negative impact they have on learning and mental health. Brimblecom said other school districts with cell phone bans have seen positive changes in discipline referrals, cyber bullying and mental health concerns as well as increases in reading. Teachers also have struggled to compete for students’ attention when phones are allowed, according to the petition.
As a result of the discussion and at the urging of board member David Westbrook, the topic was included in the district’s strategic action plan, which was adopted in June. It is among the first items to be discussed by an action committee reviewing how the ideas in the strategic plan could be implemented, said David Smith, district spokesperson.
The committee is researching the idea, and there will also be a chance for public input before the board takes action, he said.
Brimblecom said the petition was meant to highlight the public interest in the subject.
“Our hope with this petition is that the district can know it’s not a small minority of parents that are interested in advocating for this,” she said.
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