Brookings High School does not have a new policy banning students phones this year; however teachers will be enforcing an already existing policy that prohibits phone use during classroom instruction time.

“No, we have nothing new. There is not a new policy,” Superintendent Summer Schultz said. “We are going to be more intentional about following the policy and working to ensure that academic time is not lost upon students by cell phone use.”

The high school handbook prohibits students from using cell phones (and other personal electronic devices) during “instructional time.” The policy allows students to use phones in the building before and after school, in the hallways between classes, and in the commons area during lunch. Schultz said the policy is unchanged from last year, but this year administrators want teachers to apply the rules uniformly.

“We do have updated cell phone expectations, but we did not make a new policy,” Schultz said. “We want it to be that if the expectation is that electronic devices must be turned off or set to silent mode during class time, then that is what’s happening in all of our academic settings.”

The policy provides exemptions for students needing a phone for medical emergencies or requiring it as a translation device.

“We know that some classrooms can find ways for students to use their devices,” Schultz said. “Classroom teachers can get administrative approval and say, you know what — we’re going to be doing something that it’s actually going to be easier for us if the students pull out their phones and turn them on during that time. And as long as they clear that with the administrator, we’re still allowing that. And kids can use their phones in the building before and after the school day, between classes, hallways, during lunch. So we have only asked that the expectation be that it is not during academic time.”

However she said the district will be reviewing the policy.

“We’re going to use this fall — especially this first semester — but this fall as a time to put a committee together to study our current use and policy,” Schultz said. “We need to make sure that we are all in agreement, and we share the same expectations. And so rather than changing our policy this year, I want to put together that committee this fall so that our school board, our administrators, our whole school community can take a look at what we need to do to make sure our policy fits those priorities that we want in our classrooms.”

Some schools elsewhere in the nation have banned student phones. In South Dakota, the Gettysburg Area School District declared itself a “device-free learning environment” this year.

“We have not gone to the level of some schools by taking them (phones) away completely,” Schultz said. “We feel it’s in the kids best interest not to have that distraction during class time; we want to make sure we’re enforcing that. But that still allows them to be good stewards of their cell phones and technology outside of that classroom environment. And so that’s where we’re starting.”

Email Jay Roe at jroe@brookingsregister.com.