Students have mixed reactions as Lake Oswego School District implements cell phone ban

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The official first day of school at the Lake Oswego School District isn’t until next week. But students are already voicing their concerns over a newly-passed cell phone restriction policy.

The rules require phones to be turned off and put away at all times during the school day. During an open house at Lake Oswego Middle School this week, parents were generally supportive of the idea while students had less positive things to say.

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“I don’t like it,” one student told KOIN 6 News.

“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a big problem,” another student chimed in.

Other students seemed indifferent.

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“It’s not the end of the world,” one student said.

“Other people care more than I care,” another student said.

“I feel like a lot of people, they’re going to be kind of mad because they have actual phones,” one child observed. “But it doesn’t affect me and my sister because we have flip phones.”

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The debate comes as the Portland Public Schools Board has been discussing adopting a cell phone restriction policy of their own.

While the use of magnetically-sealed Yondr pouches to store the devices during the school day has been discussed, Grant High School’s implementation of that technique has received pushback via a student-led petition, citing high cost and ineffectiveness.

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The Lake Oswego School District’s version of the cell phone ban takes a lighter approach. The policy, officially adopted by the school board on Monday, doesn’t include the use of Yondr Pouches, the Portland Tribune reported.

The first day of school for the Lake Oswego School District will be on Tuesday, Sept. 3, which will also be the first day the cell phone restriction policy will be officially implemented.

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