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SKOWHEGAN, Maine — A new state law is pretty clear: When Maine students return to school this fall, they can’t have their cellphones or other personal electronic devices.
But what exactly that mandated “bell-to-bell” ban will look like in Maine School Administrative District 54, and anywhere else across the state, will be determined in the coming months.
What will the consequences be for students who violate the policy? How will students communicate with their families in emergencies?
Are there enough secretaries to handle the anticipated increase of calls from parents and students that will now be directed through schools’ main offices? How will the district protect the confidentiality of students who will be permitted to use their phones during school due to their special education or medical accommodations?
Should teachers be responsible for collecting students’ phones at the beginning of class? What about their smartwatches and headphones?
And should teachers and administrators be banned from using their electronic devices, too?
Those were among the points raised at a Wednesday night forum at Skowhegan Area High School that MSAD 54 administrators organized to get feedback before the board of directors sets a new policy.
About 40 people, including parents, students and teachers, attended the workshop, which included both small group discussions and a larger conversation.
Those who could not attend may share their thoughts via an online survey at bit.ly/Cell-BAN. The webpage also includes informational materials about the state law and guidance the Maine Department of Education issued to school districts.
MSAD 54 Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Moody, who led the forum, said while the law mandates a policy be in place by Aug. 1, the district realistically is aiming to finalize it by the start of school in late August.
The board of directors expects to begin working on the policy at its next meeting this month, Moody said.
Hailed by proponents as a way to reduce classroom distractions and help students focus on learning, the law requires schools to prohibit student use of personal electronic devices for the duration of the school day, from starting bell to dismissal bell.
Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, proposed it during her State of the State address in January, and the Legislature enacted it as law this spring.
The law required the Department of Education and the Maine School Management Association to create a model policy for school boards, including provisions for exceptions to the ban for students who need devices for their individualized education program, medical accommodations or translation when no other option is available.
The law included $350,000 to support costs associated with implementing the ban, such as the purchase of cellphone holders. Moody said he expects MSAD 54 would qualify for enough funding to purchase equipment for the district’s high school and possibly the middle school but not its three elementary schools.
About half of all states have some kind of similar ban in place. Some Maine school districts already had bans before the law was passed.
In MSAD 54, which serves Canaan, Cornville, Mercer, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Smithfield, existing rules vary but generally discourage student phone use during class time.
At the middle and elementary schools, the policy has been “off and away,” school administrators said, though they noted the rule is hard to enforce. At the high school, the policy has been looser, with no phones allowed during class time but OK to use during lunch and other noninstructional periods of the day.
Moody said sometimes devices are used for instructional purposes; in one class he observed students using a cellphone application to identify leaves.
Jason Bellerose, principal of Skowhegan Area High School, said in addition to the policy discussion, teachers and staff are discussing ways to support students during the transition to the new rules.
Those efforts include developing personal strategies and “replacement behaviors,” along with more concrete steps, like changing how the school communicates with parents about extracurricular activities, he said.
“Kids … are going to go through a change here,” Bellerose said.
Enforcement of the bell-to-bell ban, meanwhile, is one of the bigger questions the board will address when it creates its policy.
Moody said he hopes the ban does not become a distraction for teachers and students.
“The goal is not to over-police,” he said. “The goal is certainly not to punish.
The model policy from the Department of Education and the school management association largely leaves that to districts to decide on their own, merely suggesting possible consequences like verbal warnings, confiscation or meetings with parents.
“Success of any board-adopted policy in fulfilling its purpose depends on the willingness of school administrators and staff to enforce it,” a note on the model policy says.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Jake Freudberg can be reached at jfreudberg@centralmaine.com.