TOLEDO, Ohio —
Washington Local Schools students will be heading back to class with a new electronics policy.
The district updated its existing rules in response to a new state law.
Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 into law in May, requiring public schools to restrict cell phone use during learning hours.
"We have students who are not very happy about it, but it is things that we have to do to educate them to make them understand, it's not that we're trying to do anything to punish them," Jerry Bell, principal of Whitmer High School said.
Bell said the high school and junior high schools already had policies in place before the new law.
It was up to the teacher to decide when cell phones and other electronics could be used in class.
Now, electronics aren't allowed at all.
"It's coming back to we're not going to allow them to be out inside the classroom," Bell said.
Students will have to either turn their phones and other electronics off and keep them out of sight in class, or they will also have the option to place them in a cell phone holder, which will be provided in every classroom.
Smartwatches can stay on wrists as long as they're off.
"They can still use it in the space in the cafeteria, they can use it in between classes, obviously when emergency situations arise," Bell said.
Students will continue to be able to access their Chromebooks provided by the district.
The school board is still drafting consequences for students who don't comply after an initial warning.
Bell said the plan isn't about punishment, though. He said it's about helping students develop communication skills free from a screen.
"What the anticipation is of this is creating more of the socialization pieces, getting our students to be able to communicate," Bell explained. "They think they know how to communicate, but when you really look at things, having one-on-one conversations, having group conversations, being present in the moment."