DeKalb schools to pilot classroom cellphone ban for students

The DeKalb County School District is the latest in metro Atlanta to pilot a classroom cellphone ban.

Why it matters: Increasing concerns and research showing how cellphones can negatively affect the mental health of children and teens are leading more school districts to restrict use of the devices.

The latest: When classes resume on Aug. 5, DeKalb students at five middle schools and five high schools will be required to place their phones in Yondr pouches when they arrive at school.

• The pouches will be locked, but students will be allowed to hold onto them. They will be unlocked at the end of the day.

Zoom in: Participating middle schools include Henderson, Lithonia, Salem, Sequoyah and Tucker.

• Cross Keys, Lakeside, Lithonia, Martin Luther King Jr. and Tucker high schools are also taking part.
• The district will also test a program at Chapel Hill, Druid Hills and Miller Grove middle schools where students will put their phones in a locker during class.
• DeKalb will accommodate students with medical issues or an individualized education plan that requires the use of a cellphone.

What they're saying: Darnell Logan, director of student relations, told Board of Education members on Monday that a survey of middle and high school classrooms shows students on average received 13 notifications within a 30-minute window.

• "It is a huge distraction, and it disrupts the flow of learning," he said.

Yes, but: Board members were receptive to the pilot program, but said the district will need to do more to get parents on board.

• Board member Allyson Gevertz said students know they are distracted by their phones.

• "I think once their brains get used to focusing, they're going to say they're bored … at first, but once their brains get used to spending whole days engaged in other students and in their learning, they're going to feel better," she said.

Zoom out: Marietta City Schools and the Liberty County School System in southeast Georgia have approved similar programs using Yondr pouches.

• Midtown High School in Atlanta will roll out its plan to reduce student access to smartphones.
• Schools across the country are also adopting similar policies, including the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Minneapolis metro area.
• A state law went into effect this year in Ohio that requires schools to limit cellphone use in schools.