The Cinnaminson, Palmyra and Delran school districts will all impose bell-to-bell bans on the use of cellphones and social media by students during the school day under a state-mandated law signed by outgoing Governor Phil Murphy on Jan. 8.
The bans take effect this September and municipal boards of education are required to adopt policies restricting the student use of internet-enabled devices, including cell phones, tablets, smart watches and smart glasses, due to concerns about the impacts of these devices on student mental health, well-being and academic achievement.
Boards of education, including public school districts and charter schools, must adopt policies addressing use of these devices by students not only during the regular school day, but also on the school bus and during school-sanctioned events. These policies must also speak to the use of internet-enabled devices during an emergency situation and storage options for the various devices.
The Cinnaminson Board of Education is expected to finalize its policy during its meeting on Tuesday, August 25, at 5 p.m. in the Middle School, which had banned cell phone use last year. According to an article by Isabella Papeida in the “Ships Log” high school newspaper, “So far, it appears the ban is having a positive effect amongst the middle schoolers.
“Most Cinnaminson High upperclassmen are accustomed to having their phones handy for the majority of the school day, so if phones are taken away, there could be considerable pushback from the students. On the other hand, adopting a ban could improve student focus and create less of a distraction during learning time for both students and teachers,” Papeida wrote.
Last year at CHS there was not a ban on cell phones, but there were phone caddies giving students an easy way to stash their devices with the ability to use them during downtime. When the ban goes into effect this September incoming freshmen will be used to it, but not the returning sophomores, juniors and seniors.
According to the state law, the restriction on social media devices is bell-to-bell, meaning devices are banned from the morning arrival bell until the final dismissal bell, including during lunch and passing periods.
Exceptions to the ban include students with documented disabilities requiring a device for accommodations, students requiring internet-connected devices for live translation services, and students with individualized medical needs, such as blood sugar monitoring or specific family caretaking emergencies.
The Delran School District had previously joined the state’s initial wave of restrictions by participating in New Jersey’s Phone-Free Schools grant program and received $6,423 in funds to purchase storage solutions such as lockable pouches and smartphone lockers.
While Delran has long maintained rules requiring devices to be turned off and put away during class, the full physical lock-away, “bell-to-bell” ban officially goes into wide-scale enforcement for this academic year.
In alignment with New Jersey’s statewide legislation, the Palmyra School District will comply with the new restrictions on personal internet-enabled devices. The mandates restrict non-academic smartphone and personal device usage across school grounds during instructional hours
Individual school buildings, such as Palmyra’s High School and Middle School, will manage specific daily storage and device-checking procedures outlined in updated student handbooks.
For the exact enforcement steps, storage mechanics, or disciplinary tiers for a child’s specific grade level, check the Palmyra High & Middle School Backpack portal or contact the district main office at (856) 786-9300.
The upcoming school year will be challenging for the students unable to use their cell phones, but many educators feel it will let them focus more during class and socialize with each other throughout the school day.
