Pocatello trustees pass cellphone restrictions at local schools

POCATELLO — (IdahoEdNews.org) Pocatello/Chubbuck school trustees approved further restrictions of student cellphone use at a regular board meeting Wednesday. 

The decision came after months of soliciting public feedback and considering options. 

The newly approved Pocatello/Chubbuck policy includes the following changes:

• Cellphones and other personal electronic devices are not allowed during the school day. They must be turned off, out of sight and stored in a locker, backpack, bag or vehicle. Occasionally, teachers may permit the use of cellphones and other devices for academic purposes.  
• High school students may use their cellphones during their lunch period. 
• Middle school students may not wear smart watches: Elementary and high school students can wear smartwatches if they are off, or in school mode. Trustees determined that smart watches would be inappropriate for middle school students because they are more tech savvy than their elementary peers, but less mature than high school students, so would be more likely to circumvent the policy.

Trustees also approved a procedure change that calls for student cellphone violations to restart at the beginning of each school year, as opposed to each trimester. 

While cellphones are already prohibited during class time, the policy has been implemented unevenly across schools, district leaders have said. Under the new policy, all schools will be expected to adhere to the changes uniformly.

School districts statewide are implementing more restrictive cell phone policies, after a new law was passed requiring districts to do so, and amid pressure from Gov. Brad Little and State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield. 

Nationally, cellphone bans and restrictions are on the rise, as well, over concerns about the negative impacts of cellphone use. However, research is beginning to show that school cellphone bans are not enough to reverse the apparent harms from the technology, according to Neal Morton of The Hechinger Report.

This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on June 18, 2025.