By Brandon T. Bisceglia
The Amity Regional School District will limit students’ cell phone use during the school day starting in the fall.
According to the new policy, students at the two middle schools in Orange and Bethany will keep phones powered off or silent and stored away for the entire school day.
High school students will only be allowed to use their phones during lunch, between classes and during study hall, with the phones expected to be turned off or silenced the rest of the time. There will be exceptions if a teacher specifically asks them to use their phones as part of a class activity.
The district cited a 2023 US Surgeon General advisory that argued unrestricted phone use can negatively impact teens’ focus and mental health as a reason for the decision.
“Teachers will still integrate technology when it enhances instruction, and we ask families to help by encouraging healthy phone habits and avoiding non-emergency calls or texts during school hours,” the district said in a release. “Together, we are creating calmer classrooms and stronger learning environments.”
There has been a growing movement toward restricting cell phone use in the classroom around the country and in Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont has come out in favor of measures to limit cell phone usage in schools, backing guidance from the State Board of Education in 2024. The state legislature this past session considered requiring all districts to adopt a policy on personal technology use in schools, but the bill died at the end of the session.
Nevertheless, Amity is hardly alone among local school districts to adopt limitations. Stratford adopted a new policy in June; Derby moved over the spring to ban cell phone use during class and lunch periods. New Haven banned cell phones in classes for elementary and middle school students in January, and plans to do the same in September for high schools.