Recently, the Indiana legislature passed a new law stating that cell phones are banned from Indiana classrooms anytime there is direct instruction or students have assignments. Indiana is not the only state to put this law in place; Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia have also passed similar laws. KHS students and staff have many mixed opinions on the law, but a surprising number did not care too much about the law. On the other hand, the people that did care had very harsh opinions about the law.
“The law did not bother me so much because coming from middle school, we never were able to have our phones,” said freshman Carter McClain.
This is how many of the freshmen felt because all they have ever been taught is to not have their phones out during school. Teachers on the other hand, such as Science teacher Vince Lorenz are applying the law but not being harsh about it.
“I think having phone usage monitored during instruction time is a good thing. I am not asking students to keep their phones put away everyday for the full 50 minutes,” he said. “I am asking students to meet me in the middle and give me some time dedicated to what we are learning.”
At the building level, principal Angela Blessing is enforcing the state law, but she doesn’t want it to feel unbearable to the students.
“Students are able to have their phones out when it is free time or during passing periods,” Blessing said. “We do not take away all privileges from the phones”.
Some students feel the new policy is a lot stricter than in the past.
“It is a lot different then how it used to be,” said sophomore Micah Taflinger. “I feel as if we are on more of a lockdown with our phones and devices”.
Even though this policy may feel like a punishment to some students, Blessing does not want the law to feel like a lockdown but more of a push to further academic successes.
