Nyssa High School officials will ban cell phones inside schools, including classrooms, when school starts as officials around the state work to address the issue of student phones.
Luke Cleaver, principal of Nyssa High School, said the policy is based on abundant research showing that school cell phone use has become a distraction and is harming students’ mental health.
Cleaver said that from “bell to bell,” students will be required to keep their cell phones in their lockers or backpacks during class and anywhere “inside the building” during school hours. The policy stipulates that students who need to make or receive phone calls must do so outside of any school building.
“Our goal is to foster a learning environment where students can focus on their education without the interruptions that cell phones can bring,” Cleaver said.
Nyssa, the second-largest school district in Malheur County, is among a growing number of schools nationwide adopting stricter cell phone rules. But without specific state laws, it’s up to local school districts to develop policies.
Marc Siegel, a public relations representative with the Oregon Department of Education, said on Tuesday, Aug. 6, that the agency is working on guidance regarding cell phones in schools that will be released in the fall.
“The guidance will focus on research and support to help districts and schools set local policy related to cell phone use,” Siegel said.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers is working on a bill to curb cell phones in schools, according to state Rep. Lisa Reynolds, D-Beaverton, during a July virtual town hall.
Gov. Tina Kotek, in a Friday, Aug. 9, statement, said she supports a “statewide approach” and that she directed the Education Department to come up with “clear model policies” for cell phones in school.
“We cannot get the outcomes we seek on early literacy, math, and all other content areas if students are not focused on learning when they are in school,” Kotek said.
Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recommended that parents set limits on their children’s phone use. In June, Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, called for warning labels on social media platforms and noted that they are associated with significant mental health issues among youth.
Cleaver, who was appointed principal earlier this year, said Nyssa’s policy is one that teaches students how to use technology appropriately.
“Cell phones are an amazing tool, but it has to be used in the right context that makes sense,” he said.
Cleaver said the policy will mirror practices for adults, such as stepping away from a work area to take a call that otherwise would disturb others. The same will apply to students at the high school.
If, between classes and during lunchtime, a student needs to use the phone, then they need to go outside of the school. Cleaver said the policy could become more restrictive if it needs to be, should educators see an uptick in absences or tardiness due to students using their cell phones. Cleaver said he and his staff found a “middle ground” approach that was developed through conversations with the community – including students.
Cleaver said the high school would make exceptions for students who might have a sick family member. In those situations, he said its important the student and parents communicate with administrators to come up with a plan that works.
Ryan Hawkins, Nyssa superintendent, said that much of what drives the high school’s policy is the findings in Jonathan Haidt’s recent book “The Anxious Generation.” Haidt wrote that Apple released the iPhone in 2007, one of the world’s first smartphones.
By 2010, the iPhone had a model with a front-facing camera, changing the social media landscape to one that’s image-driven. Between 2010 and 2015, mental health plunged, especially for teenage girls.
Haidt wrote that by 2012 loneliness and friendlessness among teens spiked and scores in math and reading dipped across the country. He wrote that while the underlying psychology of teenagers is complex, the fact is that it was in 2010 when people traded in their flip phones for smartphones. With that, adolescents moved the bulk of their social lives onto the web – specifically, social media platforms, designed for “virality and addiction.”
Nyssa was not the first school in Malheur County to ban cell phones at school. Adrian rolled out a policy in 2023 at its middle and high school, according to Nick Ketterling, superintendent of the district.
Ketterling said students are briefly allowed to check their phones between classes, but at the start of each day, students are required to put them in a holder at the front of the classroom.
Ketterling said that, generally, parents and students supported the policy, and while there are still issues with some students, the results have been positive. He said the most significant impact has been in the classroom, students seem to be more attentive and focused during class.
He said students also appear to be interacting and socializing more during recess and lunch periods.
Alisha McBride, superintendent of the Vale School District, said generally, that students kindergarten through eighth grade are not allowed to use cell phones at school. At the high school level, cell phone use is at the discretion of the teacher.
The policy at the Ontario School District, the largest district in the county, is unclear. Taryn Smith, the district’s public relations manager, did not immediately respond to the Enterprise’s request for information. District officials have largely stopped responding to Enterprise inquiries about school matters following disputes over public records.
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