BOZEMAN — Governor Greg Gianforte is urging Montana school superintendents to review their cellphone policies in schools.
Monica Cross is the parent of a senior at Bozeman High School and the president of the parent advisory council.
"In school, I feel like it's a distraction from their schoolwork. Every kid is different. Some kids can handle it more and put it in their backpacks. Once they have that, it's hard for kids to regain their focus once they put it on their phone," Cross says.
She echoes Governor Gianforte's recent letter to school districts, asking schools to become cell phone-free.
"Every parent wants their kids to be on their phone less. So I think the fact that we are talking about it and trying to figure out what works best for our schools is a stepping stone," Cross says.
BSD7 Superintendent of Schools Casey Bertram says they support the governor's letter; however, it's more complicated than banning phones.
"We know just a school solution will not fix this issue. It will be a community-wide solution for everybody to come together to support our young people," Bertram says.
Bertram says it isn't just the teens that are digitally obsessed.
Currently, the school district is in phase one of a plan to evaluate cell phone usage and mental health.
Stakeholders, including mental health professionals, Thrive, and parents work to make the best student decisions.
Is a cellphone ban on the horizon for Bozeman schools?
"We know that any knee-jerk just bans something, which is never productive. So, we are going to start by studying it and researching it. It's a complex issue. Student mental health is complex," Bertram says.
As for Cross, she thinks resources should be given to teachers to help combat cellphone usage.
"That gives the teachers the tools and the resources to teach children about healthy phone use and what that looks like," Cross says.
And how would her students feel about a phone-free classroom?
"I think she'd be okay with it," Cross says.
The current BSD7 phone policy states:
Policy #3630: "prohibits using cell phones at our elementary and middle schools during the school day. Generally, it limits their use at the high school level to non-instructional locations. Our young people's health and well-being are fundamental to our work as a public education."
