Lexington Public Schools have joined the growing number of schools nationwide that are banning or limiting cellphone use in an effort to curb distractions and improve student focus.
The Lexington School Committee has approved a policy banning cellphone use during the school day for students in pre-K through eighth grade. For students in grades 9 through 12, phones must be placed in a teacher-designated holding area during class. The policy allows for some flexibility but aims for consistency so teachers aren’t left with the burden of enforcing phone rules individually.
After discussion on language and enforcement, the policy passed on a 4-0 vote Feb. 4.
The policy, which has been incorporated into the school system’s “Student Standards for the Acceptable Use of Technology,” has taken effect, said Eileen Jay, chair of the Lexington School Committee. It is now the responsibility of school administrators to implement the policy.
During the drafting process, Jay said principals from each school level — elementary, middle, and high school — were involved in shaping the policy.
There’s been a heated debate among Lexington students, teachers and parents about the role of phones in education.
“I don’t think they should ban phones in schools,” said Liv Jones, a Lexington student. “They can be used for academic purposes.”
Students like Jones rely on their phones to take photos of notes before they disappear from the board. Jones also stated that phones are important for organizing group projects and communicating with classmates about school work.
Jones’ perspective is supported by the Pew Research Center, which found that 73% of teachers believe students use mobile phones as learning tools in the classroom.
However, some educators and administrators remain concerned that the negative aspects of phone use — such as distraction and social media addiction — outweigh the benefits.
Robin Strizhak, president of the Lexington Education Association, shares this concern, emphasizing that constant connectivity isn’t necessary. She believes that phone-free spaces are needed not just in schools but in everyday life.
“We’re too reliant on our phones,” she said. “We need to learn how to focus again.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 76% of public schools prohibited non-academic phone use during the 2021-22 school year.
Lexington had been testing a compromise: designated phone pockets in classrooms, where students store their devices during lessons but can retrieve them afterward. But it hasn’t been strictly enforced, and different teachers apply different rules.
Students like Jones support this balanced approach, though.
“It makes sense to keep phones off during class but not during breaks and free periods,” she said.
Experts at the National Association of School Psychologists advocate for this middle-ground approach, arguing that outright bans fail to teach students self-regulation. Instead, they recommend policies that establish clear boundaries during lessons while allowing phone access outside of class, helping students develop responsible digital habits.
Beyond academics, students argue that banning phones is a matter of personal responsibility and independence.
“We’re supposed to be learning about how to be independent. Banning phones takes that independence away,” said Amy Liu, another student at LHS.
While most students recognize that phones can be distracting, they say fostering self-discipline is more effective than imposing bans.
“It’s about responsibility,” Liu said.
Another argument for banning phones is the potential to reduce cyberbullying, Strizhak says. Nationally, about 16% of students report being bullied online. But banning phones in school might not solve this problem.
“Banning phones won’t help with this because much of it happens outside of school hours,” Strizhak said.
One of the most emotionally charged aspects of this debate is whether students should have immediate access to their phones in emergencies.
“I worry about not being able to contact my mom if something happens,” Liu said.
Liu’s and other parents also share this concern, fearing they won’t be able to reach their children when needed.
However, Strizhak said, “children should not be able to be contacted at all times. They need to focus on learning.”
In addition to debate over the policy itself, parents have raised concerns about how the new rules have been communicated — or not communicated — to families.
Wendi Hoffer, a parent and organizer with the advocacy group Lex Kids Be Kids, said that despite the School Committee approving the policy in early February, many parents, including herself, have not received any official communication from the district.
Still, she calls the policy a “great step in the right direction.”
This story is part of a partnership between The Lexington Observer and the Boston University Department of Journalism.