MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Cellphones in schools are a hot topic, with more school districts opting out of cellphone use during instructional hours.
In Arkansas, the state earmarked $7 million to help schools lock students' phones up during the school day. Seventy-five percent of schools in Arkansas have joined so far, with each setting its own policies.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants the program to cut down on distractions in classrooms statewide.
"Our phone free school program is a great first step to promoting it statewide, and it could not get here fast enough,” Governor Sanders said.
Here in the Mid-South, at least one district has implemented a cellphone ban this year and others could follow its lead.
In North Mississippi, Marshall County School District students were issued Yondr pouches to lock their phones in every day this school year. Superintendent Carrie Skelton said the students are responsible for bringing them to school every day and taking care of them.
"I want kids to know this isn't a punishment for them,” Skelton said. “This is something to hopefully help them."
Skelton said there are consequences for students caught with their phones out during the school day. The phone will be confiscated and have to be picked up from a parent. After the first offense, more disciplinary actions will come.
In case of emergency, the pouches can be unlocked by administrators.
Skelton said the response has been mostly positive. But of course, everyone is not on board with the push to ban cellphones.
Bill Salak, chief technology officer at an education company called Brainly, wants students to have more access to educational opportunities on their phones during the school day.
"What I would have liked to have seen is lean into digital literacy. I'm talking about incorporating the use of technology into the classrooms on a day-to-day basis," Salak said.
The Marshall County School District is almost one month into its new cellphone ban. Skelton said students already seem to be less distracted in the classroom and more social outside of the classroom.
She said the idea for the cellphone ban came after seeing a North Texas school district successfully adopt a similar policy. She hopes to see more districts in the Mid-South adopt similar approaches.
"Hopefully, we'll be a way to show people how they can make things better for kids," Skelton said.
In Tennessee, cellphone bans could be reintroduced in the next state legislative session after a failed attempt by east Tennessee lawmakers last session.