BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The expansion of the cellphone usage ban for public schools in Broward County took effect Monday.
The district initially provided a two-week grace period to give students time to adjust to the change, but starting Monday, that grace period officially came to an end as the new policy will now start to be enforced.
“I think it is so stupid. We can’t even use it at lunch, in the hallways,” Cypress Bay High School junior Becca Helal told Local 10′s Trent Kelly.
Over the summer, the school board unanimously voted to restrict cellphone usage for students on campus from beginning bell to end bell.
For the previous school year, students were ordered to have their phones silenced or turned off while in class.
Under the updated policy, students will not be able to use their cellphones even during “free time,” like at lunch.
“Security guards are so intense on it -- at lunch, at anytime,” Cypress Bay freshman Parker Lopez said.
In an email to Local 10 News last month, a spokeswoman for the district confirmed that instead of phones being placed on silent, they must now be placed on airplane mode until closing bell. This also applies to smartwatches and tablets.
“I don’t think I know anyone that agrees with it. No one’s happy about it,” Cypress Bay senior Jack Ramirez said.
School board member Debbi Hixon said under the change, teachers will still be permitted to allow students to use their digital devices if they are being used for instructional purposes.
“Most classrooms have computer devices, so Canvas and all of those things they would be able to do on the laptops,” she explained last month. “But Class Dojo, Kahoot -- any of those -- it really is up to the discretion of the teacher. If the teacher finds the need for them to be using the cellphone then they could use it.”
If a student is caught in violation of the new cellphone rules, they will face consequences, including a write up for a first offense, having their phone confiscated if they’re caught again and a third or fourth violation could result in suspension.
“We’re kind of just like turning into a prison and I don’t like it,” Helal said.
Eva Acanda, a junior at Cooper City High School, shared her thoughts on the new presence of administrators in the hallways who are ensuring compliance with the policy.
“They’re the ones that’ll be in the hallway. They’ll be like, ‘Put away your phones,’” she said.
While some students acknowledge that the rule helps them focus more in class, others feel the restriction goes too far.
“People want to use their cellphones during lunch or free time — they should be allowed,” one student said.
Parents like Juan Carrasquilla told Local 10′s Layron Livingston that he supports the new rule.
“The kids are on the phone all the time — don’t pay attention to the teachers. So, I think it’s a good rule,” he said.
District officials argue that the policy isn’t a ban, but a way to encourage students to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with their surroundings.
“They’re actually engaging differently,” Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn said. “They’re talking more, they’re having better social interactions with their colleagues, and also some of their parents.”