Marblehead Public Schools is sticking with its current cellphone rules for now, while administrators monitor how well those rules are working and state lawmakers consider broader restrictions.
Superintendent John Robidoux told the School Committee last week that students in kindergarten through eighth grade must keep phones “off and away” throughout the school day. Administrators are also addressing smartwatches, Meta smart glasses and other connected devices.
At Marblehead High School, students can access their phones between classes and during lunch, but not during instructional time. Each classroom has a caddy where students are expected to park their phones unless a teacher allows their use for an educational purpose.
“If there’s 17 kids in the classroom, there should be 17 phones in the caddy,” Robidoux said.
Robidoux said the approach is generally working well, though administrators will continue monitoring enforcement. Teachers are also expected to stay off their personal phones during instructional time.
“We have to model that for our students,” he said.
School Committee members Melissa Clucas and Kate Schmeckpeper raised the possibility of extending the high school restrictions to lunch and other noninstructional periods, saying less phone use could encourage more face-to-face interaction among students.
Robidoux said the district has not made plans for an all-day high school ban and noted that students appear to socialize regularly during lunch.
He said the district is well positioned if Massachusetts ultimately requires stricter rules because students are already accustomed to putting phones away during class.
“Until the legislature tells us something different, I think we’re in a good place with this,” Robidoux said.
