Away For The Day | Latest News - When Maine students return to school this fall, they’ll have to power down the cellphones and put away the smartwatches

AUGUSTA — When cellphones become a problem at Cony High School, there’s a place for them to go.

It’s called “phone jail.”

The “jail” is a box mounted on the wall inside the main office. It’s about the size of a first-aid kit and it has 36 slots. A tiny key turns the lock.

A few years ago, shortly after the pandemic, the school instituted new rules around cellphone use after teachers complained they were becoming a classroom distraction.

The rules required students to put their phones away during class but allowed them to sneak a peek during non-academic times such as lunch, Superintendent Mike Tracy said.

It’s worked well. But a new state law institutes a “bell to bell” ban on all electronic devices, including cellphones, smartwatches and tablets. That means all devices must be powered off before school starts and remain off for the entire day.

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Read the full article here.

When Maine students return to school this fall, they’ll have to power down the cellphones and put away the smartwatches

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