Gilbert Public Schools adopts wide-ranging cellphone ban for K-8 students

PHOENIX — K-8 students on Gilbert Public Schools campuses will not be allowed to use their cellphones during the school day beginning this fall, even during breaks between classes and lunch.

The new “away for the day” policy was approved by the district’s governing board Tuesday night.

Students will have to turn their phones off or silence them in their backpacks or lockers during school hours.

This comes after Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill in April requiring some form of cellphone and internet restriction in schools.

High school students in the district will still be able to use phones in between classes and at lunch. There are also exceptions for emergencies or medical purposes.

Advocate explains benefits of Gilbert Public Schools cellphone ban

Rebecca Gau with Stand for Children, an education advocacy group, explained that having a policy like this helps boost kids’ learning and cuts down on online bullying and negative material being spread.

“There’s a pretty decent body of evidence that one of the least expensive, most impactful things we can do for kids is to make sure that their time in school is focused, well spent and free of distractions,” she said.

Gau added that some of the concerns surrounding the new Gilbert policy have to do with parents reaching their kids. However, she said parents can always contact their children by calling the school’s front desk, just like they had to do before cellphones existed.

“I’d rather have my kid paying attention to the teacher and paying attention to learning … versus the 2% of the time that I’m trying to get in touch with them,” she said.

The privacy of kids will also be protected with the Gilbert policy, with access to the internet not available without adult supervision. As a result, pictures of students are less likely to end up online.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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