KEARNEY, Nebraska (KSNB) – Kearney High School is changing its cell phone policy.

In the past, teachers determined how cell phones could be used in class. Now, a uniform rule applies to all classrooms: students are only allowed to use their cell phones during lunch and recess.

Assistant Principal Ty Swarm said the upgrades ensure consistency across classrooms and set a standard for students. It’s about creating a distraction-free learning environment. They wanted teachers to be able to teach without phones becoming a problem.

The administration also investigated students’ cell phone usage during the day, resulting in the policy that usage is allowed during lunch and recess. Once students arrive at class, they have two minutes to turn in their cell phones.

“We need to make sure our teachers have a distraction-free learning environment, and that wasn’t the same in all classes,” Swarm said. “Many of our teachers already had their phones registered, but we saw the success of those classes and the feedback from those teachers on that process, and we needed to see that in all of our classrooms.”

Swarm said they were pleased with the way the updated policy worked at the start of the school year.

“Our goal is to not use cell phones during class and in our raided classrooms,” Swarm said. “But students are allowed to take their cell phones with them during recess, during lunch, and then before and after school. We thought this would be a viable way for students to learn appropriate cell phone use in the school day.”

Swarm said it was challenging to keep up with the continuous technological development, but he was impressed with how the students had handled the changes.

Other local high schools have slightly different cell phone policies. At Grand Island Senior High, cell phone use is only permitted in medical emergencies.

Hastings High School’s policy is similar to Kearney’s. Students are allowed access to cell phones during lunch, recess, and at the teacher’s request for educational purposes.

“Since I introduced the cell phone surrender requirement, I’ve seen much better interaction between students,” said Spanish teacher Jeanette Marcy. “I see them trying to speak to each other in Spanish effortlessly, and they seem to be able to concentrate better and just enjoy the language.”

The policy will also help students outside the classroom.

“I think it’s a transition skill,” Swarm said. “There are going to be expectations about what is and isn’t appropriate when it comes to cell phone use in the workplace, or what’s going to happen to our students after they graduate. And so I think it’s appropriate to give them the opportunity to navigate that during their years at Kearney High School.”

The administration knew that stricter cell phone regulations would not be well received by students, but sees the benefits.

“At first I was a little upset about it, but it’s actually not that bad,” said junior Kaden Slaymakaer. “It actually helps me get my work done so I’m not procrastinating and sitting on the phone.”

Some students liked the little distraction and this rule made them more sociable.

“I’ve noticed a drop in my productivity,” said Matto Otten. “But I also notice that I’m talking to my colleagues a lot more, so it’s good to interact with those people.”

The measure also destroyed the dreams of some first-year students.

“Well, it’s not really any different (than middle school) because in middle school I didn’t have my phone with me all day,” freshman Korbin Solomon said. “But I was so excited to get to high school and finally have my phone with me, but then they put in the cell phone rule so I wasn’t allowed to have it with me during class, so that kind of depressed me. I was kind of sad about it.”

If children are caught using their mobile phones outside of the permitted times, they must hand them in to the office by the end of class.

“I can’t live without it,” Solomon said. “I want it so it won’t be taken away from me. So I just listen and I would say it makes me more productive because if I had it I would spend the whole class typing on it and not doing anything.”

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