Parents raise safety concerns over proposed PPS policy banning student cell phones

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon's largest school district is considering banning cell phones in the classroom.

Portland Public Schools unveiled a draft policy to restrict the use of devices in a committee meeting Wednesday night.

Parents said they have some safety concerns while staff and teachers seem to be on board.

“I could understand it, you know, to stop kids from being distracted in school, from texting friends,” said Catriona Robson, a PPS parent. “But parents rely on having a cell phone for their kids to know where they are.” 

According to the draft policy, devices must remain off and stored during school hours and would only be allowed before and after school or during lunch.

The guideline said no videos or photos would be allowed, unless directed by staff for educational purposes. And devices used during school will be taken away until a parent or guardian picks it up.

Any student not complying could be subject to discipline.

"We've heard very clearly from teachers and school staff that cell phone usage of students during the school day, during class time is disrupting the class and it's preventing students from being focused on their academics,” said PPS Board Member Julia Brim-Edwards. “It's also having impacts on students' mental health."

The policy proposal could go to a vote and be implemented across Portland by the second semester of this upcoming school year, Brim-Edwards said.

Brim-Edwards said the district plans to hold focus groups, surveying students and staff this school year, especially those at Beaumont Middle School and Grant High School, which have their own policies in place. Both schools purchased Yonder pouches to enforce those policies.

The Yonder pouches are a sticking point, with the Grant High School principal arguing the anti-cellphone policy was unsuccessful without them. The pouches aren't currently part of the district-wide policy draft.

Brim-Edwards said the PPS Board has more details to hash out in the policy. 

"We want to answer questions like that, that the parents have like what the mechanism is if you need to contact your student during the school day, or if your student needs to contact you,” Brim-Edwards said. “So those are the types of things we'll be working out."

A survey of nearly 240 PPS teachers and found 94% were in favor of a district-wide cellphone policy. 

"There's really rich peer review research on the dangers of social media platforms and smartphones, on our students, particularly our teen girls," said Grant High School Principal James McGee during Wednesday night's meeting. 

"Do we want them to focus on their instruction or do we want them to focus on their device and their notifications?" added Beaumont Middle School Principal Dr. Harriette Vimegnon.