Kansas students forced to put cell phones in lockers before school as new bell to bell law enforced

Kansas students have been forced to put cell phones into lockers before they set foot in class as part of a blanket ban on the devices in schools across the state.Thousands of students in grades K-12 are banned from using their cell phones during the school day under HB 2299, which outgoing Kansas Gov.Laura Kelly signed into law in March and hailed as a tool to “reduce distractions in the classroom.”School districts are granted the flexibility to enforce the policy as they see fit.Schools in the Kansas City public school district have spent $150,000 on special lockers for students to slot in their cell phones before class, KCTV reported.Video has since gone viral showing kids at Wyandotte High School putting their cell phones into a cage with a glass window as a supervisor seemingly provides oversight of the high-tech gadgets at the start of the school day at 7:25 a.m.The cell phone cage cannot be accessed during school hours and students are required to collect their device at the end of the school day at 2:25 p.m.Wyandotte High’s enforcement of the policy has sparked division online.“You don’t think the kids will put a 2nd or broken phone in there and keep their regular phone on them?” one Facebook user suggested.“When someone steals the whole rolling cart is the school insured to replace 450-650 phones?” another reacted.“Are they even checking to see if the phones are working phones?” a third asked.

“Who’s to say the kids aren’t turning in an old phone and hanging on to their actual phone?”“My question is what about students that rely on their phone to alert them their blood sugar has gone up or down?” a parent asked.“I sure hope there are exemptions for these students.”Wyandotte High students also have the option of leaving their cell phones at home or inside their cars.

Not every school is following the approach of Wyandotte High.Students in the nearby Piper Unified School District can store their cell phones in a tradition...