Cell phone bans in schools are becoming a hot topic across the country. The conversation reached Montana – last week, Governor Greg Gianforte sent a letter to school administrators urging them to implement cell phone bans.
His reasoning was that the aim was to improve academic performance, encourage engagement in class and protect students’ mental health.
“While each school may adopt a different policy based on feedback from parents and school officials, organizations like the (Montana School Board Association) already have model policies that schools can use,” Gianforte’s press secretary Kaitlin Price said in an email. “The governor looks forward to visiting schools this fall to hear from parents, teachers and students about the importance of creating a distraction-free learning environment.”
The question is how realistic this request is. NBC Montana reached out to one school that managed to fulfill this request.
“The phones are in the bag and locked away. They’re easy to see and easy to take care of. It’s easy for the teacher to walk through the classroom and say, ‘All phones are gone,'” said Park City Schools Superintendent Dan Grabowska.
Park City is a small town between Big Timber and Billings. Earlier this year, students were required to lock their cell phones in special bags except during lunch periods. If a cell phone is seen outside of the bag, a parent must pick it up after school.
The schools use Yondr bags, a program Grabowska discovered at an education conference.
“There are fewer disruptions in classes, concentration is increased, teachers spend more time in the classroom and any kind of bullying on social media is curbed,” he said.
Grabowska said he has seen larger school districts like Missoula, Bozeman and Billings successfully try the same approach thanks to funding from safety grants.
For Park City Schools, the program cost about $6,000.
Missoula County Public Schools is taking on the challenge – the district is conducting a year-long study before implementing a cellphone-free policy in fall 2025.
NBC Montana contacted several school districts, including Belgrade, Bozeman, Kalispell and others, to see if they were considering cell phone bans, but received no response.
Grabowska says other schools considering a ban need to enforce it and have the support of the entire staff.
“If you’re going to ban cell phones, make sure it’s not just a philosophical statement,” Grabowska said. “Make sure it’s something that’s easily enforced, tangible and actionable for staff.”
