Following a string of complaints by teachers and parents, the Mansfield ISD School Board recreated and enforced a much stronger phone policy district-wide before the start of 2023-24 school year. 

“We’re asking that all students keep all devices put away at all times. That allows us to focus on the important things,” Associate Academic Principal Stephanie Monajami said.

This school year, the no-tolerance phone policy forces students to keep their cell phones off and away in every class period, regardless of the circumstances. Use of phones is only permitted during a student’s lunch and passing periods. 

“I think it’s going to be a little bumpy at first,” Ms. Monajami said. “People are always by natural inclination going to push boundaries and see what they can get away with. But I think as we get into the routine and the rhythm, I think it’s going to be great.”

Ms. Monajami hopes that this policy will improve students’ focus and academic success. 

“I think once kids get on board with it, it’s going to allow us to be fully engaged in the classroom environment,” Ms. Monajami said. “Hopefully we’ll see an increase in involvement and understanding and interaction.”

Any phone, mobile device, smartwatch, or headphone seen out at an improper time will be taken by an assistant principal. There is no cost on the first offense. On the second offense, the phone will be taken and the student will have to pay the $15 fine to retrieve the device. On the third offense, the phone is taken and the student will receive detention. 

“When you have that gray area in there it gets really complicated to enforce. But when you keep it just real simple, not ever allowed at any time, there are no questions,” Ms. Monajami said.

Ms. Sara Kamphaus, Pre-Calculus and Calculus teacher, supports the new policy. Mrs. Kamphaus joined the district more than 20 years ago, before the rise of cell phones, and is glad she doesn’t have to battle phones for students’ attention anymore.

“The students are more attentive, not asking me to repeat what I’m saying because they were distracted. So I think it’s really better for students’ attention,” Ms. Kamphaus said.

Though this policy has, in some sense, always been around, the reinforced policy eliminates phones as a distraction in the classroom. Ms. Kamphaus is on board with the level of respect that they are giving the policy this year.

“When cell phones started becoming a thing, we had a policy that you couldn’t even have a cell phone, and the policy after that has been that the phones have to be put up and not visible or we were allowed to pick them up. We got lazy about that the last couple of years,” Ms. Kamphaus said.

Sophomore Davian Sparks remains optimistic for the upcoming year even after word of the new phone policy. 

“With the policy, I can’t text my friends, have a good time, joke around,” Sparks said. “When work is going on, I can understand, do not be on your phone, sure, but I would go back to it being the teacher’s discretion.”

Although administrators understand students’ concerns and frustration, Ms. Monajami and the school faculty hope that students will learn to understand and even begin to accept the policy. 

“I think once kids see how much more they’re engaged in their classes, they might actually find the classes more interesting and be more connected to the learning,” Ms. Monajami said. “Then you get more out of school.”