OGDEN, Utah — A Utah high school is taking action just weeks after Utah Governor Spencer Cox urged educators to remove cell phones during class time.
When students walk through the doors at Ogden High School Monday, things will be a little different.
"I won't deny that it will be a little bit difficult to deal with," admits junior Jackson Drake
The high school is making an update to its cell phone policy.
"It's very similar to what we've had before, where if the phone is a problem, the teacher asks you to put it away, if they don't admin comes and takes it," explained senior Kaitlyn Blackham.
The Ogden School District says the new rule is an evolution in the process of reducing distractions for students during class. It's something officials believe has been a growing concern across the nation and in Utah when it comes to cellphones in the classroom.
"Cell phones in classes just present a distraction to learn, presents a challenge between teachers delivering instruction and students receiving that instruction," said Jer Bates, Dir. of Communications with the Ogden School District.
Moving forward, if students try to use their phone in class, they will be asked to store them in a phone locker.
"We'll work with our administrative team to secure the device and then the student will receive the device back at the end of the school day," Bates explained.
Bates adds that the district has designed a structure within the policy.
"We've developed that system of escalating the circumstances involved so that if a student is having a more particularly difficult time adjusting to this change, we can then escalate it by working with the family to help reinforce the fact that this is a policy that we are going to adhere to, but also bringing in the family to help us cooperate with that student in helping them," he said.
The Ogden High School cell phone policy is similar to ones put forward at Ben Lomond High School and a junior high in the district.
However, one parent has some concerns.
"Probably just wondering about students rights and privacy and things like that," said Merrille Blackham, the parent of an Ogden High School student. "Devices are expensive, so it seems like taking them away from students might cause some problems."
Students, parents and district officials say they expect the implementation of the police it to be an adjustment on Monday, but the hope is to establish a new norm moving forward.
