Mechanicville CSD to roll out new phone policy

MECHANICVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The list of school districts looking to implement new phone usage policies continues to grow. Over the next couple of weeks, the Mechanicville City School District plans to roll out their new phone policy to students and parents.

The next school year will look a lot different for high school students in the district. "We absolutely believe this is the way to go," said Principal Mike Mitchell. "We don't want our students' cell phones -- we want to refocus the priority. Sometimes having their phones on them is a distraction even if it's on vibrate."

Mitchell plans to roll out a no phone policy for all high school students, meaning they will not be able to use them during classroom time. "We knew it wasn't going to be popular," he said.

Mitchell added that problems popping up outside of school in the virtual world have been making their way into the classroom and taking attention away from instructional time. "They leave here, and social media takes a lot of our students' attention. A lot of that is negative. Conflicts through social media that rear its head the next school day."

At the middle school level, Mitchell plans to roll out something similar and have students leave phones in their lockers. Brandy Cenci, who has two children in the district, said, "I think there was some push back, of course, with any new policy or change."

Students will still have access to their phones during the lunch period and at high school during study hall. Cenci added, "It's a good compromise. Other districts are moving to more stricter policy."

Mitchell says because he has a small school district, he hopes most students will comply without the use of magnetic pouches some districts are turning to. If a phone is seen in class a second time, teachers will ask them to put it in a phone caddy, and a third time administration may step in.

The policy has already been tested with last year's freshmen class during the last nine weeks of school. "We basically communicated we did not want to see them in instructional times. It needs to be in your pocket or book bag," Mitchell explained. "We do not want your phone. We want to refocus your attention to what's most important."

The feedback so far is a bit surprising. "'I'm glad you did it. I was upset at first. But I can tell how addicted I was to my phone,'" Mitchell said as he reflected on some of the responses he's received. "Sometimes, we have to have difficult conversations or make difficult decisions that may not be popular, that in the end are best for them."

For parents still worried about having access to their kids during the school day, Cenci had this to add: "I would just say give an opportunity for your student to start the school year and see how things go. If there is an emergency, give a call to the administration. Also, give some trust to the administration."

The communication will go out over the next couple of weeks from the principal on exactly how the new policy will be rolled out and implemented.