OHCHS cell phone policy changes by Chelsea Rugg

For the past few years at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS), the school policy for students regarding cell phone use has been that cellphones are to be put away during classes, unless students have specific permission from the teacher of the class to use them, but they may use them during lunch and passing periods. If a teacher saw a student’s phone out or being used, during class time, not just in the classroom, the student would be asked to put it away or it would be taken away by the teacher. For repeated instances, students would be sent to the office.

This year at OHCHS there is a new addition to the cell phone policy: students can either opt to put the phone away, or put it in a “cell phone bin,” which every classroom has. If a student does choose to put his or her phone away but still uses it, teachers will usually ask the student to put the phone away again, or the student will be made to put the phone into the cell phone bin, depending on the teacher.

If students repeatedly use their phones in class, they will be sent to the office. Their phones will be held for the remainder of the day and they will receive further consequences, such as detentions, parent meetings and/or loss of cell phone privileges at school.

Although the policy isn’t entirely new, administrators decided that they would start more actively enforcing the rules they already have. Bins were placed in every classroom to ease the struggle some still have with being distracted by their phones.

Most teachers, when asked to comment, have said only that the bins don’t get used much but that they create a greater motivation for students not to use the phones. For those who know that they will struggle with not using their phones, the bins are useful. Teachers believe that there has been less cell phone use this year, although most students don’t actually utilize the bin.

Ultimately, if students start to use their cell phones again and disregard this rule, the school will become more restrictive.

CELL PHONE BINS — Cell phone bins are available in each classroom at OHCHS