HARRISBURG, Pa. — Harrisburg School District is moving forward with its initiative to limit cellphone use in the classroom at Harrisburg High School John Harris Campus.
The school board approved the decision this week.
The decision came as a surprise for students like Tai Colbert-Armstrong.
“Nobody really heard that, so people are just hearing about it and today is the day,” Colbert-Armstrong said.
It’s part of a new pilot program to increase engagement and lower distractions while learning.
However, not every student is on board.
“I feel like that shouldn’t be the only priority cause there are bigger problems like people fighting, people doing all this and that,” said Jose Keepswi.
The district is expected to partner with Yondr, a company that produces pouches for phone-free spaces.
It’s estimated to cost the district more than $47,000 to fund.
Cellphones won’t be banned in the school outright, instead, they’ll be secured in pouches in the students’ lockers.
Harrisburg is part of a growing trend of schools across the country banning cell phones, with experts from Johns Hopkins saying mounting research shows smartphone use is leading to several problems ranging from dwindling attention spans to a lack of engagement in learning.
However, some students don’t like the idea of having their cell phones out of reach.
“What if a school shooter comes and intercoms don’t work, everybody could say ‘get out of school’ over the phone, there’s a lot of things you could do,” Keepswi said.
Others say it’s necessary to learn more effectively.
You got to listen to the teachers or they’re going to send you to the office or call the principal,” Colbert-Armstrong said.
The restriction is expected to go into effect next school year.