12-05-2025
Iowa schools tweaking cell phone policies due to new law
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — For many Iowa students, there's only a couple more weeks till school is out. However, when they return next fall, some may find their schools' policy on phones has changed due to a law going into effect this summer.
Governor Kim Reynolds signed the law on April 30; it directs Iowa schools to develop policies that restrict the use of electronic devices during class and setting up ways they will securely store students' phones.
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The superintendents of Westwood Community Schools and Lawton-Bronson Community School District both say they've had these policies in place before the Governor's law.
'In the elementary, students are not to have them out during the day. They leave them in their bags and in their lockers. High school differs. Some of them have baskets, and when you walk in the room, you have to deposit your phone in the basket, and when you walk out of the room at the end of class, you can pick your phone up. And, you know, if it's not a basket, it's some other container,' said Chad Shook, the superintendent with Lawton-Bronson Community School District.
Due to the new law, both school districts are making a few changes to comply with it.
'A lot of it is looking at our policies and see how they match up, and one of the things that I know right now our policies don't include wearable devices as much as it probably should. So that is one thing that the governor put in there is wearable technology needs to be addressed, and so we'll be addressing that this summer,' said Jay Lutt, the superintendent with Westwood Community Schools.
'We're talking about methods of collecting cell phones when kids come to class that are consistent from classroom to classroom. Right now, that's kind of in the hands of our teachers, but we want to be consistent. You know, when we're talking about adapting the model policy put about put out by the Department of Education,' said Shook.
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Lawton-Bronson's superintendent says he doesn't see why this needed to become a law when many schools were already tackling the issue.
'I feel like this is something that our teachers, parents, students, school board are very capable of handling. I'm not sure that we needed legislation to address this, but it's here. So, we'll make sure where we fall in line like all the other schools,' said Shook.
Iowa schools need to have some sort of cell phone policy in place by July 1 when the law goes into effect.
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