20-02-2025
St. Paul Public Schools Board approves cellphone, electronics ban
Students in St. Paul will experience a big change starting next school year.
The St. Paul Public Schools Board on Tuesday passed a new district-wide policy to ban cellphones and electronics from classrooms while school is in session, taking effect at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.
The new policy comes after the Minnesota Legislature mandated last year that every school district have a cellphone policy, part of a wider effort to tackle the distractions phones can be to students and teachers during class.
While many districts had already rolled out their new policy on the first day of the 2024-25 school year, remaining districts have until March 15 to set the board-approved policies.
According to St. Paul's new rules, no electronic devices of any kind will be permitted during school hours. They must be left at home, in lockers or turned off and put away. The electronics banned include cellphones, tablets, laptops, bluetooth and wire devices (earbuds) connected to personal electronic devices, pagers, walkie-talkies, electronic mail devices, MP3 players, smart watches and personal gaming systems.
Schools will need to create clear and consistent expectations for students in following the newly adopted policy, in accordance with the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. The district says this may include losing the privilege altogether of bringing any electronic device to school.
While all elementary schools and most middle schools in the district do not allow cellphone use during school hours, high schools have allowed some use.
Schools are afforded some flexibility when it comes to grade levels nine and above, with the policy permitting them to create their own plans that are required to be reviewed annually, according to the policy. Electronic devices still won't be allowed during class, but could be allowed in between classes, before and/or after school, in locker rooms, bathrooms or during lunch.
Any policies put in place for grades 9 and above must align with reducing use of electronics.
