Since returning to school in mid-August, STA students have become accustomed to new guidelines regarding the use of their cell phones on campus.
Liz Baker, principal for student affairs at St. Teresa’s Academy, said the new cell phone policy was introduced in response to recent Missouri legislation restricting phone use during school hours.
The state law requires that phones remain put away from the first bell to the last. While private schools are not required to adopt the mandate, Baker said the administration decided to align closely with the intent of the law: reducing distractions during class.
The new rules prohibit cell phone use in classrooms and hallways, though some exceptions exist. Baker said students may use phones during lunch, and teachers can choose to allow them during study periods or for academic purposes, such as scanning QR codes for assignments. Emergency alerts, parent communication and medical needs are also recognized as exceptions.
Baker said the school began considering the change at the end of May and finalized decisions over the summer while updating the student handbook.
Since the policy took effect, faculty members have seen more student engagement, particularly in the hallways.
“I notice in the hallways that there’s more interaction between students when they don’t have their phones in hand,” Baker said.
Feedback has varied. Baker said parents have expressed strong support for the policy.
“The parent feedback is, ‘Oh thank God they don’t have their cell phones,’” Baker said.
Student reactions have been limited, though some have voiced concerns about completing tasks, such reserving open spots using the school’s RSVP system.
The teachers’ main concern, Baker added, is enforcing the rule during passing periods when some students still try to use phones.
“We wanted to reinforce the objective of the law, which was eliminate distraction,” Baker said. “We worked on where would be the areas that students would need phones during the school day. We knew that lunch was a time where you need a cell phone. And there may be an option in a study period where a teacher might say, ‘yeah, go ahead and play music or use your cell phone.'”
Again, exceptions remain in place for emergencies, medical needs and classroom uses, such as scanning QR codes.
“Obviously you have your phones nearby or on you, and so if we did an emergency alert, you would be able to still have that,” Baker said. “We completely understand that people communicate with their parents during the school day.”
Baker said the administration plans to continue monitoring how the policy is working and will review potential adjustments in the future.
