KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
A new Missouri bill passed by the state legislature on Tuesday would require school districts to create a policy banning cell phone usage throughout the school day.
Senate Bill 68 is headed towards Governor Mike Kehoe's desk after both the Senate and House approved it.
“I'm really curious about implementation. I think, like any policy, any challenge that exists in our school district or in our schools, it's really important that teachers and students are supported," said Annie Watson.
Watson's children are in the Park Hill School District. Just last week the district implemented a new cell phone policy that would limit the use of cell phones for high school students with some exceptions.
“High school students are preparing to enter the world as young adults," said Watson. "They are young adults in many ways. And so I don't know that taking a phone away is actually like the right solution for such a complex challenge."
The new policy is the results of months long studies from a Task Force created by the district. The Task Force made up of parents, teachers, administrators and students learned that cell phones were causing a distraction in the classrooms.
Within their studies, the Task Force learned that 71% of students acknowledged using their phones during instructional time.
“I think the idea of more limited cell phone use during class time is not a bad thing. Research shows pretty clearly that when our students don't have access to phones during class time, academic things, social, emotional things, all sort of improve," said Watson.
Watson shared having communication with her daughter has been viable. Taking cell phones completely from students raises some concerns for her.
“I don't love the idea of cell phones being physically taken from my high school student, and so I'm curious if that is actually part of the plan or not," said Watson.
Kelly Wachel spokesperson for the district said the Task Force is looking at how their new policy will be implemented.
“The task force, recommended that we do store all the cell phones from the students in the classrooms. That might be different ways that we do that we'll be kind of testing and piloting some of those ways to store phones," said Wachel.
The district is also keeping an eye on the new bill, if signed by the Governor, their new policy would have to be adjusted to comply with new state law.
"We're really watching that, because as we're moving forward, we wanted to give kind of a meet in the middle clause for our kids at lunchtime and passing periods would be maybe able to have the ability to use their cell phones, but with this new bill, it might not allow for that provision," said Wachel.
If Senate Bill 68 is signed by Gov. Kehoe, it would go into effect 90 days after it's been signed; meaning the new law would begin next school year for all schools in Missouri.
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