On August 13th, 2024, students faced the harsh reality that their phones would spend the next 180 days in a caddy.

In the 2023-2024 school year, many teachers required students to place their phones in a caddy during class time, but it was not district mandatory.

Study halls (not including freshmen) did not require students to put their phones up during TA, not during a lecture.

This allowed students to have availability to their cellular devices for a seemingly large period during the school day.

As of this year, phone caddies hang in every classroom, and are mandatory due to a new policy created by district administration.

“I didn’t like it, but I feel like it’ll make us as students do better in the classroom,” senior Kyle Ferry said. “I pay more attention.”

The faculty of the district feels the same. The policy’s goal is to maximize student productivity within the classroom, without the distraction of devices.

“What I’m being told by teachers is that there is a better atmosphere in their classroom,” Principal Dan Radicia said. “What I’ve seen at lunch is more communication… and in study hall, I’m seeing more kids doing their homework.”

Mental Health is another large aspect of the policy, according to News Medical, teenagers who use their phones for more than four hours a day are subject to higher levels of stress, suicidal thoughts, and substance use.

This is amplified by the use of social media, the AACAP states that 90% of teenagers are on some form of social media platform.

“When I get bored I just like to scroll on my phone,” sophomore Will Swagler said. “I only have one thing to do and that’s homework.”

While many teachers and students feel the policy is more beneficial than harmful, some students feel negatively about the restrictions on headphones.

“I don’t like that they don’t let us listen to music,” Junior Sophia Sweeney said.

The resentment towards the headphone rules is particularly felt in study halls, TA, and other independent work time. Many students use music as a tool to help them focus.

If a student does not follow the policy, there is a school-wide standard as to the severity of the punishment, these include: bringing the phone to the office for the day, needing parents to come pick up the device, detention, and after-hours.

These punishments are in place so students will follow the policy without cell phones becoming an issue in the classroom.

Nobody can disagree that a phone hasn’t become a distraction at some point, so the policy is in place to benefit students in the long run. At a little over a month into the school year, the policy already feels normal, with many students warmed up to it.

“I want the students to know that Elkhorn Public Schools takes their mental wellness seriously and with compassion,” Radicia said. “We wouldn’t do something that we didn’t think would positively impact students.”