A Michigan school district is telling students that no more devices will be in class starting next school year.
Anchor Bay Schools calls it the “Away-for-the-Day” device policy, and some parents have told Local 4 that they have safety concerns about it.
We’re not just talking about phones; the district says students must turn off devices like smartwatches, personal laptops, and headphones.
Then, they can be stored in their lockers or cubbies for the day. However, parents may resist this policy.
Fewer distractions, being more present, and improving the learning environment are something most parents support.
But ditching wireless devices is not a call some can get behind.
“I feel like it should be allowed and accepted. I think it’s fine in case they need to contact their parents in case of an emergency,” said Nick Henderson.
Anchor Bay School District will launch Away-for-the-Day this fall. Officials say the cellphone-free policy “aims to foster a more focused and interactive educational environment” while helping students connect better with their peers and teachers.
It has already launched the policy at a middle school, touting its success. A father gave the district an A+.
“I highly disagree with kids having so much access to phones, especially in school. They’re distracted. I didn’t have a phone in school. You think they’re using phones to do school work,” said the father.
WDIV Insiders raised additional concerns, including TC Todd, who wrote, “Sounds great, but maybe not as far as the phones need to remain in lockers. How about a policy that the phones must remain off and be kept in backpacks, purses, etc.”
JRP wrote that their child had a threat in school and learned about it because the daughter called them before the school notified the parents.
So, we took safety concerns directly to the superintendent.
“Anchor Bay has been at the forefront of campus safety, staffing armed security officers at each building. In the event of a security incident, first responders and school staff will direct students to designated reunification locations. It’s important for students to not use phones during those events, which could spread incorrect information and overload towers.”
Anchor Bay School District Superintendent Phil Jankowski
The district said it would enforce these rules.
Students will be told to put their devices in their lockers for the first violation.
The second time, students will need to pick up the device from the office after school, and the third time, the parent will need to get it.
If it keeps happening, there could be in-school and out-of-school suspensions.
As of this spring, eight states had policies banning or limiting cellphone use in classrooms. Michigan is not one of them, but the issue is very much on the table.
In her February State of the State address, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer encouraged state lawmakers to institute school cellphone limits—but not a full ban.
State Rep Mark Tisdel, a Republican from Rochester Hills, has introduced House Bill 4141, which would ban devices at different times of the day depending on grade level. That bill is currently in committee.
In a WDIV Detroit News survey last October, we asked, “Do you support or oppose requiring all school students to lock up their cell phones during class time?” Nearly 58% said they were in favor.
