There have been many changes this new school year of 2023. One of the biggest changes made is the “NO PHONE POLICY”. It has had a significant impact on not only the students, but the staff too.

     The "NO PHONE POLICY" is no phone use during school hours, which are between 7:10am – 2:05pm. Mr. Fancher has shared that "this rule comes from the superintendent, and it is to be enforced." There are many advantages and disadvantages to phone usage in school. To start off, the staff have shared that they have witnessed more personal connections, students having to use brain power instead of sneaking a cheat, and less student-on-student conflict has occurred. Administration feels that this rule is easy to implement and not hard to maintain at the school.

      In addition, there are also negative impacts. Such as, inconveniences towards receiving and sending of information needed for clubs, academics, and sports. The main reason that students have any issue with this rule is due to the fact that it is also enforced during student's free time, such as lunch. This makes it difficult for personal reasons, as well. With this, Mr. Fancher has also claimed "that the only huge difficulty in applying this rule is during lunchtime". He believes "having to manage hundreds of students at once, making sure all the kid's phones are put away and not in sight is problematic." The staff feels similarly. They have been tasked to take phones from students, and that has caused more tension than ever between them. This includes students talking back, and staff having to give more consequences.

     Although, the "NO PHONE POLICY" can be considered difficult in many ways, because it has both benefits and drawbacks, adjusting to it is inevitable to all.