New Maine Budget Calls For Cellphone Ban in All Schools

I am old enough to remember a time when cellphones in schools were not a problem.

There may have been a few people who had pagers (if you are under 35, Google what they are).  There may even have been a few people who had a Nokia 5165.  However, as they were only good for making calls and playing Snake, the few kids that had them left them silenced and in their backpacks.  Yeah, they were pretty useless.

These days, things are a lot different.  We rarely use our phones to make calls, but they do basically everything else for us.  We use them for pictures, videos, connecting with people on social media, watching shows & movies, and more.

This is why they are such a distraction for our teens.

These days, dozens of Maine schools have restrictions on when students can use their cellphones/smartphones.  Under the new state budget, it appears that every school will be required to restrict the use of these devices in school.

According to an article on the WGME website, Maine lawmakers have signed off on a state budget topping $500 million, and tucked inside it is a new rule that’s going to change the school day for students across the state.

Under the plan, every school district in Maine will be required to have a cellphone ban in place before the next school year begins.

READ MORE: Here's when You Can Fish For Free in Maine

That means by August 1st, local school boards must adopt policies that block the use of cellphones and other internet-connected personal devices during the school day.  The Maine Department of Education will help districts get there by offering sample policies they can follow.

There are a few exceptions built in.  Students will still be allowed to use devices when it’s tied to specific educational programs they’re enrolled in.

For the most part, though, this is a “bell-to-bell” ban, meaning devices are off-limits from the start of the school day until dismissal.

Rolling it out statewide isn’t free, either.  The cost to implement the policy is expected to land around $350,000.

What are your thoughts on this?  Let us know by sending us a message using your app (unless you are a student sitting in class, of course).