Cell phone policies for students across Michiana

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- This week and next mark the beginning of the school year for several districts across Michiana.

As students stuff their backpacks for their first day, they might be wondering where they should put their cellphone, or if they should bring it at all.

Each school district has their own policy, and state law now plays a role in crafting those policies

In the Hoosier State, cellphones are banned in the classroom.

That's thanks to a law signed by former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb last summer that says districts must adopt a policy that bans students from using wireless communication during class time with few exceptions like an emergency or with a teacher's permission.

Michigan is actively working on passing similar legislation.

Lawmakers haven't reached a statewide ban yet but the State Senate approved a bill in May that would direct public schools to adopt policies that curb cellphone use during school hours.

At the local level, most districts' cellphone policies all have similar language.

Students can have cellphones on them, but either need to be turned off or cannot be out and used during instructional class periods.

That's the case for:

• Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
• School City of Mishawaka
• Benton Harbor Area Schools
• New Prairie United School Corporation
• Concord Community Schools
• St. Joseph Public Schools

Students and parents point to safety as a reason why they prefer the option of having a phone on them.

"It makes me feel more safe like if something happens, say someone brought a gun to school or anything, you can call someone and let people know," says Lucian Logsdon, a School City of Mishawaka student.

"There's only so many phone lines at the school, so if there was an emergency and everybody's trying to call, only 6 or however many folks are going to get through," explains Amanda Logsdon, a School City of Mishawaka parent.

"In this era of constant communication it feels better to be able to reach out when I need to."

Some schools are a little more strict on where students keep their cellphones.

Students at Goshen Community Schools must put their phones in their lockers immediately after arriving on schoolgrounds.

Classrooms at the Brandywine School District have teacher designated cellphone organizers where students place their phones during class periods.

One outlier is the policy at Elkhart Community Schools. Their policy says phone use is prohibited on school buses, in classrooms, and during extracurricular activities unless a coach or teacher allows it.

That can be worrisome for some parents when it comes to immediate health or personal issues.

"My daughter has anxiety so she needs to be able to call me at all times," says Katrina Andrews, an Elkhart Community Schools parent.

"They need to be able to get ahold of their parents."

Many of the policies outline that a teacher can give permission to a student to use their phone on a case-by-case basis.

For a deeper look at what policies are in your place at your child's school, check out their Student Handbook.