Beginning on March 3rd, Howard County students will be required to have cell phones away and silenced during school hours. After months of research and debate, the Board of Education voted almost unanimously for the new policy, which was supported by Howard County parents and teachers.
Under the old policy, high school students are allowed to use their cell phones during lunch time, in the hallways, and during instructional time with teacher permission. But the new policy would require phones to be off and out of site through the entire school day.
Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Superintendent Mr. Bill Barnes defended the policy to staff in an email, saying “For several years, I have heard from countless school staff and parents who identify personal student technology devices as having a significant detrimental impact to the learning environment.”
The new cell phone policy has been months in the making. The process of amending Policy 8080 began in 2024. For three months, the Board researched, collected data, and discussed cell phone use in schools.
On July 20, 2024 during a Board meeting, Board member Jacquelin McCoy argued for the complete ban of phones, saying “It is very difficult for a child whose brain is developing to resist the lure” of cell phones during class time. This is why she says “from elementary all the way up to high school, there is absolutely no need for a cell phone to be in the hands of a student during the school day.”
For another four months, the Board engaged stakeholders, which included multiple public hearing testimonies. Students, parents, and community members were invited to testify for or against the cell phone ban in front of the Board.
On October 24, 2024, HCPSS parent Lindsay Unger advocated for “a policy that does not allow cell phones to be on the student from bell-to-bell.” She said 83% of the National Education Association supports zero phone use during the school day.
Wilde Lake principal Mr. Michael Brown also acknowledges the positive effects the cell phone ban will have on students. He says staff has shown support for the policy.
“Staff has been supportive of the policy overall. From a teaching perspective, you always want to make sure that all distractions are eliminated,” Mr. Brown said. “The policy will allow teachers to have students focused and locked in more in class. They just want to make sure that students are learning at their highest capacity.”
Career and Technology Education team leader Ms. Kelly Broyles supports the policy but sees potential problems with implementation differing from classroom to classroom.
“Consistency among the staff is going to be a problem. It’s unfair for students to go from classroom to classroom where teachers are not enforcing the policy,” said Ms. Broyles. “I’m a rule follower, so I want to implement exactly what the policy states, but I’m also human, and I understand that cell phones are something students have always had.”
Mr. Brown says Wilde Lake and its classrooms will be following the policy given by the Board, including in the hallways and the cafeteria. He says administration will remind students and give warnings for cell phone use once the policy is implemented.
While many community members support the policy, students have expressed problems with it. During a public hearing testimony on October 24, 2024, Long Reach sophomore Gavin Falcon says a complete cell phone ban will make high schoolers “unprepared for the real world” because students will not be able to responsibly use their cell phones once it is up to their discretion in college, trade school, or the workforce.
Students continued to take action once the policy was decided. A petition started by a Hammond High School sophomore titled “Revoke the Ban on Phones in Howard County Schools” has earned 3945 signatures on change.org.
The petition says cell phones “are essential tools for education and safety.” This contradicts the results of the September stakeholder survey. 2500 people said students shouldn’t have cell phones for instruction, and 1600 people said students shouldn’t have phone access for safety reasons.
Despite student disagreement, the cell phone policy is set to be implemented on March 3rd. Mr. Brown says he wants to help students understand and adjust to the policy.
“I want students to have an understanding of the policy, and I want them to know that we are all in this together,” said Mr. Brown. “I am going to work with students as much as I can for them to understand the policy and give as much grace as I can as we roll out this implementation.”
