In the last few years, a contingent of Ohio鈥檚 middle and high schools enacted policies banning phones, and Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday he believes districts statewide should take heed.
Some district leaders and school principals whose buildings already have phone-free policies in place met for a roundtable at Dublin City Schools on Wednesday morning, led by Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.
As of this academic year, the five middle schools within Dublin City Schools are entirely cellphone free. High school students are required to power their phones off during the day, but can still bring their devices to school with them.
鈥淲hen you walk into a lunchroom, when you walk into a building, it sounds like a middle school should sound. It's loud. Kids are engaged, kids are talking with each other,鈥� said John Marschhausen, the district鈥檚 superintendent.
Students are communicating more and getting in trouble less, he said.
Members of the roundtable largely shared the same sentiments during the roundtable, as they outlined their own sets of rules and how they rolled them out. Some districts allow students to have phones on their person, but ask that they turn them off.
鈥淥ur kids actually tell on each other,鈥� said Robin Murdock, principal of Gahanna Middle School South.
Other districts require students to hand over their devices at the start of the school day. Fairborn City Schools uses locking pouches, according to Gene Lolli, the district's superintendent. The phone pouches come through a contract with .
Parents and families have largely backed the bans so far, roundtable attendees said. Lolli said he didn鈥檛 get a single concerned call.
Husted said adults have to intervene for children. He's been vocal about his concerns with internet and social media use among kids鈥攁dvocating for a recent state law that would have required social media and gaming sites to get parental permission before letting any Ohioan younger than 16 onto their platforms. It won鈥檛 go into effect any time soon because of litigation.
But DeWine and Husted said Wednesday they don鈥檛 think the phone ban policies should involve the state government right now. 鈥淲e just want every school in the state to take a hard, hard look at this.鈥� DeWine said.
DeWine wants decision-making to stay local as more evidence emerges, he said.
鈥淎ny time that schools can make the decision without having there be a law is better for all of us,鈥� Marschhausen said.