MCS Implements New Cell Phone Policy for ’24-’25

New Cell Phone Policy at MCHS and MJHS Sparks Mixed Reactions

Madison Consolidated High School (MCHS) and Madison Junior High School (MJHS) have implemented a new cell phone policy in response to a recent Indiana law. Under the policy, students are required to keep their phones stored in their bags or lockers during class. Teachers will confiscate phones if they are seen in use, and disciplinary actions may follow.

A poll conducted by the Madisonian found that 75.7% of respondents opposed the new policy, while 24.3% supported it.

MCHS junior Bryce Melton said, “If you get caught with your phone many times, the punishment escalates.” Fellow junior Jack Maxwell commented, “I do not like the phone policy.”

The poll also collected data on respondents’ grade levels. Freshmen expressed the most concern about the policy, comprising 35% of those surveyed. Juniors followed at 32%, with sophomores at 21.4% and seniors at 11.7%. Cliara Kempton noted, “It makes the punishments more severe quickly, so students are not just taking chances.”

Senate Bill 185 mandates that each school corporation and charter school adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy and publish it on their website.

MCHS Principal Ronnie Lawhead explained the policy’s alignment with the new state law. “The phone policy is in accordance with the Indiana law that went into effect last year. It stipulates that students are not allowed to use wireless electronic devices during instructional time without the teacher’s permission, and it must be for educational purposes,” Lawhead said.

MCHS’s policy includes an “out of sight” rule: if a teacher sees a phone, they may confiscate it. Consequences for policy violations are as follows:

1. First offense: Referral and phone returned at the end of the day.
2. Second offense: Phone confiscated, Saturday school assigned, and a parent or guardian must retrieve the phone from the office.
3. Third offense: Same as a second offense, with an additional day of JCASP (Jackson County Alternative School Program).
4. Fourth offense: Phone must remain at home.

When asked about the impact of the recent poll on the new policy, Lawhead said, “The poll did affect the policy. There were suggestions, such as having students place their phones in a pocket, which we may implement if issues persist.”

Lawhead added, “Parents have indicated that phones should not be out during class as they are a distraction.”

Students have expressed both positive and negative views about the new policy. Supporters argue that phones can be a significant distraction, citing a study from the Journal of Media Education which found that mobile phones in educational settings often impair students’ ability to focus and learn effectively. Critics, however, dislike the restriction on using phones for web browsing or finding activities during idle times.