Task force exploring cell phone use policies

The State of Ohio requires that all Ohio schools have a cell phone policy in place by the 2025-2026 school year. For this year, our cell phone policy remains much the same. However, the Upper School is taking this opportunity to dive into our policy to ensure that our environment is optimal for rigorous learning.

A Cell Phone Task Force comprised of faculty and staff members and students will be working on a revised policy for the 2025-2026 school year. All students have been invited to engage in the task force.

When you read the Upper School Family Handbook, you may have noticed that the US made a slight adjustment to its policy. Previously, while it was recommended that cell phones not be used in class, teachers ultimately could decide how they wanted to handle cell phones in their classrooms. This created an inconsistent learning environment for our students depending on which classrooms they were in.

Our faculty was unanimous in agreement that, for this year, cell phones should be stored during all classes, Advisory, and Assemblies. Storage is provided in each classroom. Cell phones will still be allowed during breaks, lunch periods, and before and after school.

While Ohio has some suggestions for how cell phones should be handled in schools, it is important for our students to weigh in on this important aspect of balancing freedom and responsibility. 

Task force members will be asked to read and discuss research that has been done over the course of the last 10 years in order to be fully informed of the impacts on learning when cell phones are present. Over the course of the year, the Upper School leadership team will periodically share updates.