Over the past several years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the use of mobile phones by our students. This has had a negative impact on our school culture. Smart phone use on campus has caused distractions during class (despite our best efforts to control it), created strife between students, and been a barrier to establishing healthy, interpersonal interactions. The problem is real, and we must take more deliberate actions to mitigate it. Following is our new phone policy for grades 7-12. Please take time to read it and discuss it with your family. We will also be going over this with them on the first day of school.

If you have questions or concerns Mr. Spector and Mr. Cooper will be available on Thursday, August 19, from 7:30-8:30am in Holy Grounds to meet with you. Come by, grab a cup of coffee, and ask your questions.

Front Range Christian School Mobile Phone Policy

Background: why does the school need a mobile phone policy?

Ninety-five percent of teenagers in the United States have access to a smartphone, and about half of them indicate they are online “almost constantly” (PEW, 2018). According to a recent study in the United Kingdom, 33% of teenagers reported they could not live without their phones, 57% indicated they had to have their phones with them to fall asleep, and the teens involved in the study self-reported spending an average of 3.5 hours per day on a mobile phone (King’s College, 2019). Some may respond to such statistics by asking what is so bad about all this? It is not destructive time or always wasted time — much of it might be spent socially or creatively or even in learning new ideas or skills. There is much to indicate that cell phone use is having a negative impact on the mental health of teenagers, and some psychologists have determined that “iGen” (those children who have never known a world without a digital phone available to them) are, behaviorally, vastly different from Gen X or Z (Twenge, 2018). Psychologists have begun to observe that the same behavioral characteristics associated with gambling and other addictive behaviors is also highly prevalent in cell phone usage (in both teens and adults), and that the same criteria found in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition) should be used to recognize addictive mobile phone usage as a behavioral disorder (2016, Frontiers in Psychology).

Closer to home, many of our own students have reported that they wish they were on their phones less frequently, but they don’t know how to solve it.

Therefore, FRCS is regulating the use of cell phones on our campus in order to 1) create better engagement and attention during class times, 2) creating a space in which students may become behaviorally acclimated to time spent apart from their devices, and 3) to assist students in developing the capacity to foster face-to-face relationships and interactions.

We are not luddites — interested in removing any technological engagement from students. Rather, we are interested in training students to impact the world for Christ. We require students to bring a computing device with them to each class. We require digital work throughout the year in various aspects, but this work should not be done on a phone. We also encourage students to bring cell phones to our campus (in accordance with the policies that follow), as they are useful to communicate once the school day is done, during extracurricular events, or as life sometimes necessitates.

Further Reading or Viewing:

• “The Social Dilemma” (Netflix, 2020)
• Andy Crouch, The Techwise Family (2017)
• Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism (2019)
• Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants (2017)
• Greg Lukianoff, The Coddling of the American Mind (2019)

The Policies

Senior High (grades 9-12)

Senior High students may not have a mobile phone in their personal possession during class (neither on their person nor in their bags or backpacks). Students should either leave their phone in their lockers or utilize the hanging phone holders equipped in each classroom prior to the start of class. If a device is placed in a hanging phone holder, it must be silenced first. Phones that are taken out during class or were not appropriately silenced/stored will be confiscated and turned into the front office. Students may collect their device at the end of the school day (no fee).

If a student routinely violates this phone policy, consequences may follow in accordance with the discipline measures described in the Family Handbook (detention, loss of privileges, etc.). If students leave campus early for an extracurricular event or activity, they are encouraged to take their phones with them. When not in class (passing periods, lunch, etc.), Senior High students may use their phones.

Junior High (grades 7-8)

Junior High students may not have a mobile phone in their personal possession during school hours (neither on their person nor in their bags or backpacks). Students should either leave their cell phone at home or utilize the hanging phone holders equipped at the front office. Students may always make a phone call from the front office in the event that they need to contact a parent. If a device is placed in the hanging phone holder, it must be silenced first. Phones that are taken out during the school day or were not appropriately silenced when stored will be confiscated and turned into the front office. Students may collect their device at the end of the school day (no fee).

If a student routinely violates this phone policy, consequences may follow in accordance with the discipline measures described in the Family Handbook (detention, loss of privileges, etc.). If students leave campus early for an extracurricular event or activity, they are encouraged to take their phones with them. When not in class (passing periods, lunch, etc.) Junior High students may not use their phones.

A Brief FAQ

FRCS had a policy in place. Why do we need a new one?

We have seen an increasingly negative impact of smartphone use on the culture of our school. Our previous efforts to limit use have not been effective, so we created this new policy.

What if I need to reach my student during the day?

The front desk personnel are available throughout the day to take your calls and relay messages to your child. There is even a phone at the front desk for student use if you need them to call you back or if they need to call you for some reason.

What if there is a school emergency?

There is reason to suspect that student use of mobile phones during a school emergency may cause more issues than it helps. Phones can easily split a student’s attention during a time when they must follow directions without hesitation. In the event of an active shooter or similar emergencies, a ringing or vibrating phone may make “hiding” impossible. Heavy phone activity during an emergency also has the potential to interrupt first responders’ communication. The student safety must be our top priority.

The school will contact families during an emergency situation when it is appropriate to do so. Students will be allowed to do the same once the circumstances in any emergency situation allow.

Can the school legally confiscate my student’s phone?

Yes. Because it is defined as a consequence for violating the mobile phone policy. Phones are returned to students at the end of the day.