At the end of July, two weeks before school started, students at Maynard Jackson were informed that an updated school policy had banned the use of phones, specifically during school hours. The students were told that this was not just a school policy, but a district policy supported by the superintendent. The students were upset about this seemingly spontaneous ban on devices crucial to everyone’s daily lives.
Gwen Montgomery, a sophomore at Maynard Jackson High School, has numerous concerns about the policy, particularly the provision that allows schools to fine students $50 for using their phones during a test. She says, “The policy is outdated and designed for wealthier schools whose students could pay the $50 and won’t experience the same pressures as those in underprivileged schools… without proper support and alternatives, this policy can disproportionately affect marginalized students and those without formal accommodations.“ She also believes that students who don’t have specialized education plans, such as Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans, but still require accommodations, will be disproportionately affected. “I’m also worried about the impact on students who rely on personal devices like noise-canceling headphones or note-taking apps to support their learning.”
The New York Times says that cellphones, text messages, and even “nomophobia” — the fear of not having access to one’s phone — can distract students and impair learning.” Cell phones have also been both a distraction and a tool for cheating. In 2017, a survey by McAfee found that 47% of students had seen or heard of another student cheating. Teachers like those at Maynard agree that this percentage has likely increased in recent years. Also, the National Center for Education Statistics Commissioner, Peggy Carr, says that 53% of “school leaders” reported negative impacts on students’ mental health of cell phone use on academic performance.
Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson is a fan of the phone ban in schools. The plan is to reinforce the “Personal Electronic Device (PED) policy for all students across the district,” according to a media release by the Atlanta Public Schools in July. This policy states that “All devices must be out of sight and turned off during the official school day and the lunch break except in cases of health or other unusual reasons as approved on an individual basis according to the administrative regulations to this policy,” according to The Atlanta Board of Education.
With this phone policy, all electronic devices, such as iPads, personal computers, smartwatches, and phones, must be kept in their bookbags or out of sight of students and teachers/administrators. Dr. Johnson’s hope with the electronic ban is for “students to maximize the opportunity they have to be in front of great teachers,” according to 11Alive. He also wants to “ensure that classrooms remain spaces where students can focus and learn without unnecessary distractions,” according to a media release by the Atlanta Public School Board in July.
Although this phone ban seemed new to many students in APS, students’ use of technology in schools isn’t a new issue; it started with the introduction of pagers during the 1980s and 90s. Pagers were essentially one-way text machines. They gained popularity, especially among teenagers, during the 1980s and 1990s. James Fleming, associate superintendent for the Dade County Public Schools in Florida in 1988, associated pagers with drug trafficking, calling them “ the most dominant symbol of the drug trade” in a New York Times article. Dade County, in Florida, banned pagers in its public schools. Soon after, many other schools across the country followed Dade County’s ban on pagers, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
According to NPR, in 1989, Maryland became one of the first states to ban pagers and cellular telephones. This ban included “significant penalties, where students could face a $2,500 fine or six months in jail for violating the law”, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. However, after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, a school shooting that left 14 students dead and over 20 wounded, “many school districts began to rethink the bans to help students and their parents reach one another in an emergency,” according to NPR. Still, in recent years, this idea of not banning cellphones for students to reach parents has decreased, and more and more schools are banning phones.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) are given “autonomy” in enforcing their policy. Some schools, such as Maynard Jackson High School and Midtown High School, use Yondr pouches, which are distributed to students at the beginning of the school day and locked until dismissal.
The cost of these Yondr pouches is a concern, especially since Atlanta Public Schools are projected to be $22 million over budget for the 2025-2026 school year, according to the Civic Center for Innovation. The Yondr pouches cost around $25-30 per student, according to Time Magazine.
Maynard, a school that uses Yondr pouches, had a 2023-2024 student body population of 1,551. If APS had paid $25 for Yondr pouches for all 1,551 students at Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School, it would’ve cost them $38,775, not including any extra pouches they might have to buy.
Although these numbers seem small compared to APS’s $1.85 billion budget, the increasing number of budget cuts has led to job losses, resulting in only one IT person for the entire district 5, according to a teacher at Maynard Jackson High School. Additionally, the cut of mental health resources for some students I spoke to raised concerns among many about the allocation of money.
Brittany Turner, a teacher and parent at Maynard Jackson, is concerned about a student who may have a medical emergency; they’d have limited ways to get assistance without students having phones. Turner understands the ban but believes it should exempt 9th-12th-grade students, “because I do feel that you are having 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds who have a little more responsibility.” Turner also has concerns about students trying to “manipulate the system … but hopefully we can all get on one accord regarding the expectations for the phone usage.”
Still, after conversations with the superintendent specifically about school shootings, Dr. Johnson says the teachers are equipped with the correct safety procedures and will be able to unlock the phone in the event of an emergency. Dr. Johnson also notes that all students can use the phones in the school, such as the front office telephones, and that parents can reach their students through teachers’ cellphones.
Mason Jackson, a student at Maynard Jackson High School, says students won’t comply with the phone ban rules. He believes the Yondr patches will last the entire school year, but phones will still be used constantly without teachers or administrators knowing. “There’s really nothing an admin can do … administration could always encourage students to follow the rules, but there still will be students breaking them.”
