The Iowa City Community School Board has banned cellphone use during class time across the district, revealing a universal plan that will be enforced at all schools.
The new personal device policy was approved, 5-2 during the final meeting of 2024 on Tuesday.
After months of discussion, the board of directors decided to move forward with a limited-use policy. The policy states that “student cell phones shall not be seen, heard, or in use during instructional time” and requires students to silence their phones and place them in backpacks, purses, hanging pouches, or assigned lockers.
The ICCSD defines “instructional time” as “the time between the tardy bell that starts each class period and the dismissal bell that ends the class period,” according to board documents.
Cellphones can still be used during passing periods and lunch. The district has also established a strict enforcement plan for those who violate the new policy.
Why did ICCSD adopt a new policy?
The change followed frustration with the current policy that faculty felt lacked continuity at each of the high schools: Iowa City High School, Iowa City Liberty High School, and Iowa City West High School. Formerly, each school had different policies, enforcement protocols, and disciplinary actions.
Iowa City High School board of director representatives and Vice President of City High’s Student Senate, Ania Naso, expressed frustration with the current policy, noting that there is a need for teachers to better enforce it.
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“There are pros and cons to having cellphones in school, and a lot of students feel very strongly that there shouldn’t be a complete and total ban at Iowa City High, (but) rather than enforcements,” Naso said. “…I believe that that starts at the teacher level, which is not being implemented. I don’t think there’s a problem with the current policy that’s in place, but it needs to be implemented properly, rather than putting into place a ban that puts pressure on all the administrative staff, in addition to students.”
The ICCSD will inform all middle and high school families before the new policy goes into effect on Jan. 21, when the third quarter begins. Schools will educate students on the updated policy in the weeks ahead as well.
A complete cellphone ban was considered as more districts in the state adopt total bans, like Hillcrest Academy in Kalona and the Ankeny Community School District in the Des Moines Metro. Governor Kim Reynolds is also considering legislation for a statewide school cell phone ban.
Ultimately, the IC Community School District chose to go with a ban that still allows students to use their phones during passing periods and lunchtime.
What to know about the new ICCSD cellphone policy
At the three high schools, cellphones will be allowed during passing time, assigned lunch periods, study hall, and open hours in designated areas such as building commons. Those areas will be marked with signage indicating cellphone use is allowed. However, high school students with open hours cannot use cellphones in hallways during class time and must wait until they reach a designated area within the school.
At the middle schools, cellphones will be allowed during passing time and during the students’ assigned lunch hour.
All phones, earbuds and headphones must be detached from the student’s body and stowed away once they enter a classroom.
How will the new cellphone policy be enforced?
Each school’s main office will handle policy violations. Teachers will notify the office of a cellphone policy breach, which will prompt an administrator to take the device from the student. The device will be held in the main office until the end of the school day.
If a device is confiscated, students will be required to sign a sheet acknowledging they violated the policy. These infractions will not be recorded as “Office Disciplinary Referrals.”
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Students will be allowed two offenses before a parent or guardian is contacted on the third offense. A fourth offense requires a meeting with the student’s parent or guardian. A “technology plan” will be created after a fifth violation.
“We have an opportunity here to reset expectation, to remind folks that if you need to contact your student through the school day, that’s what our office is for,” said Superintendent Matt Degner at the work session before the regular meeting of the Board of Directors.
The district and ICCSD Board of Directors will track the policy’s success by measuring student performance, attendance, qualitative feedback, library use, bullying and harassment, office disciplinary referrals, and how often the policy was violated.
Matt Degner, superintendent of the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD), speaks during a meeting, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at the district’s Educational Services Center (ESC) at 1725 North Dodge Street in Iowa City, Iowa.
School board started reviewing policy in August
The decision comes after months of deliberation and workshopping, which first began at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.
The new policy was crafted by eight secondary administrators, eight Iowa City Education Association (ICEA) leaders, and Executive Director of Secondary Schools Lucas Ptacek and ICEA President Brady Shutt.
President Ruthina Malone, Vice President Molly Abraham, Director Charlie Eastham, Director Shawn Eyestone, and Director Jayne Finch voted in favor of the policy, while Director Lisa Williams and Director Mitch Lingo were opposed to the new policy.
Williams felt that the new policy isn’t as strict as she had hoped and believes it sends the wrong message.
“At my core, I believe the policy isn’t going far enough,” Williams said. “Are we trying to create a policy that protects instructional time, which I think this policy does very well, or are we trying to do something else?
I think we owe it to our students to do more than try to protect instructional time. I think that this policy sends a message to our students and parents that phones have a place at school, and I, to my core, believe that they do not.”
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Board shifts view of cellphone ban
The ICCSD school board was at one point skeptical of a limited-use policy. In October, director Eastham said that he was “more inclined to a complete ban policy approach than I am a limited-use policy,” but his perspective shifted over the past two months.
He feels a cellphone ban during class will improve learning.
“I think we’re all in agreement… that cellphone use during instructional time interferes with our instructional record,” Eastham said. “It’s not helping the kids, and it’s not helping teachers, and so we need to try something else. We may be in a different position at the end of this year or next year than we are now, but at least I think we’re ready to start here right now.”
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City schools vote to ban cellphone use during class. Here’s why.