(Malvern) – On Friday, students at East Mills will return to class in a newly renovated building and with a new cell phone policy.

The 2024-25 school year began earlier this week for teachers and staff. East Mills students began classes Friday morning in the district’s newly expanded pre-K and 12th grade classroom in Malvern. Students returning will also notice changes to the district’s cell phone policy, which will no longer be available for use in classrooms during the school day. Speaking on KMA’s “Morning Line” Friday morning, East Mills School Superintendent Michael Brown said the updated policy, approved by the school board, comes amid a national initiative to increase student engagement in the classroom.

“We often see that (students) are not as engaged when they have their own technology in their hands, and we really want to get students back up to speed,” Brown said. “We really hope that a lot of their in-person communication will stop during the day when they should be learning, and they’ll be more engaged in what’s happening in class by not always having the phone in their hand.”

According to the policy, student communication devices will be placed in designated areas of each classroom during class, but Brown says there will be some times throughout the day when students will be able to access their phones.

“Students are allowed to use their cell phones before school, after school, during lunch and during recess,” Brown explained. “But their cell phones must be put away and kept out of sight when they are in the classroom. They are also not allowed to take their digital devices into the bathroom.”

In the event of an emergency, Brown says parents or guardians should call the school office. If students need to make an emergency call or text during class, they can request a pass to the office, according to school officials. Brown, who is also superintendent of the Sidney School District, says the Sidney School Board has not implemented a similar policy but is currently reevaluating whether it is an urgent issue that requires consideration.

Meanwhile, open houses were held at East Mills on Wednesday and at Sidney yesterday (Thursday). As for East Mills, Brown says the response from parents and families to the upgraded facility, which is the culmination of a $22 million bond issue passed in September 2021, has been positive.

“People have been more than happy with the state of things and we are just putting the finishing touches on it,” he said. “The furniture is all being delivered now, so it is looking really better. The staff rooms are also already prepared.”

Brown also stressed the importance of holding open houses before the official start of the school year and reaching out to students and families to open the lines of communication.

“This is how you keep parents informed of everything that’s going on – you get schedules, calendars, activities and things like that,” Brown said. “Parents are an important part of the educational process, so I think you need to involve parents, provide them with information and be completely transparent with them. This is how you work together as a school district and as a family to improve the well-being of students and their educational needs.”

Classes began Friday morning in the East Mills and Sidney school districts. Listen to the full interview with Michael Brown below: