FAIRMONT– Fairmont Area Schools has made changes to its cellphone policy ahead of the upcoming year. The updated policy bars cellphones in most school settings.

Under the new policy 7th and 8th grade students must keep their phones in lockers during the school day. Ninth through 12th graders must keep phones in lockers during most of the day, but are permitted to use them in the commons during lunch time or flex study hall.

Administration hopes the new policy will lead to improved student well being and learning outcomes. Emily Fett is the nurse at the high school and a member of its health and safety committee.

“The foundation is it impairs their ability to learn and the purpose of intending school is to learn. We find no matter what role staff are in at the high school, there is a significant impairment to learning when students are on their phone in whichever form that may be,” said Fett.

Timothy Slama is a family medicine doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Fairmont with a specialty in pediatrics. In addition to his work at the clinic he is also a parent of a junior high school student and coaches girls tennis.

“I think having a cellphone policy is only going to help with the attention, focus, and concentration of kids in class. From a physician’s perspective it’s only going to help with the bullying, cyberbullying, depression, anxiety, and any sleep disturbances we see in the teenagers,” said Slama.

Representatives of the high school’s student body also endorsed the policy.

“It’ll definitely be an adjustment because phones have become a big thing in the younger generations’ lives. It will definitely be something to get used to but I could see things like this becoming a big deal and having a good impact on our student body,” said student council president Lilly Laven.

“Having this new policy definitely changes the way we look at school and our focus on education. I think it will be a big hit for our students,” said vice president Selvin Forsythe.

Social media provides a channel where students can communicate with each other without staff or guardian supervision and can create an environment where bullying and harmful messages can proliferate. Last year the school experienced several instances where social media disputes escalated to physical violence, social media use prompted serious mental health crises, and students frequently had their photos taken and circulated online without permission.

“We dealt with some very difficult situations last year because of cellphone use leading to mental health concerns; students with severe depression, severe anxiety, and suicidal ideation. It was at that point last year we realized something needed to change because we had students in our building in a very low state crying out for help,” said Fett.

Despite the district’s cellphone restrictions, it will still emphasize technology use in the classroom. Students will continue to use district-issued chromebooks in classrooms which are expected to fulfill most needs for technology in class settings. These devices can block access to particular websites and have more limited cameras, placing additional barriers between students and some of social media’s harmful effects.

The new policy will create an environment at school that’s substantially different than previous years, and the high school is developing a system of supports to make the transition more easily.

“Nobody’s going to be exempt from (struggling with the transition). Nobody’s going to say ‘I’m going to drop my phone off and be fine.’ Parents need to recognize and assume that their child is going to have some struggle with it,” said high school co-principal Alex Schmidt.

Limiting the negative impacts of social media on students also relies on support from guardians outside of the school day. Limiting screen time at home and ensuring children receive a healthy amount of sleep are important contributors to well being. Gradually reducing screen time ahead of the school year can also help students more easily transition once classes begin.