Back To School Day 5: What Happens To The Cell Phone When School Starts?

As students head back to classrooms across Central Illinois, there’s another item parents and students should make sure they understand before the school day begins: the cell phone.

Cellphone policies have become a major issue in schools across the country, with educators trying to balance student safety and communication with concerns about distraction, classroom behavior and academic performance.

Illinois is also considering statewide requirements for student cellphone policies.

A proposal currently before the Illinois General Assembly would require school boards and charter schools to adopt wireless communication policies beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. The proposal would generally prohibit students from using wireless communication devices during school time, while allowing exceptions for situations including emergencies, medical needs, individualized education plans and certain educational uses.

For the current school year, however, cellphone rules remain largely a matter of local school district policy.

Decatur Public Schools already lists a personal electronic-device policy among its state-required information for families. Parents and students should check their individual school’s handbook or contact the district if they have questions about when phones can be used and where they must be stored.

For parents, one of the biggest reminders is that a cellphone policy does not necessarily mean a student cannot have a phone.

In many schools, the issue is when and how that phone can be used.

Students should know the rules before they walk through the doors — including whether phones must be turned off, stored in a backpack or placed in a designated classroom storage area.

Parents should also know how the school wants families to communicate with students during the school day. If there is an emergency, contacting the school office may be more appropriate than repeatedly calling or texting a student’s personal phone.

The Illinois State Board of Education says cellphone policies are increasingly being examined for their effects on student interaction, engagement and classroom culture.

So as another school year gets underway, the message for families is simple:

Know the policy before the first phone gets taken away.

A few minutes spent reviewing the rules now could prevent a lot of confusion — and possibly a disciplinary issue — later.