Iowa is trying to ban phones from schools, the Board of Education investigated kids in schools and saw how much they are on their phones. PCM already “banned” phones from classrooms. Students must put their phones in a designated area when they walk into each class. They are allowed to have them for passing periods, study halls, and lunch.

 Mrs. Souza the PCM High School principal and the school staff created this rule a couple of months ago. This decision was made because she and the teachers did not like how students were less engaged in class due to distractions of phone usage. Many students were upset because that is how they are able to communicate with each other. 

She has seen improvement in students ever since she created the rule. PCM students have been more engaged in class and are participating more. Students tend to get better grades without their phones in class than if they have them.  

Pyper Haines, a junior at PCM, shares her thoughts on the cell phone rule. She does not care about where she has to put her phone during classes. She has also realized the phone rule helps her focus in school and get better grades without the distraction. 

According to an article from BU Today, students tend to take 20 or more minutes to refocus when distracted; a text, Snapchat, or a game notification could be an example of this. Anything that can distract a student from focusing can impact their quality of education.