New Mexico – Earlier this year, New Mexico lawmakers stopped short of banning cell phones in schools—but they did pass a bill requiring every school district to implement a wireless communication device policy. The goal: give local educators the flexibility to address distractions from cell phones and other devices in ways that best suit their students. So, is the new law making a difference in the classroom?
Senator Emphasizes Local Control
Sen. Crystal Brantley (R-Turth or Consequences) emphasized the law’s local-control approach. “The policies will be very different depending on each school district because it’s up to the local school district on what that policy is going to look like. Some of them may simply say keep the phone in your backpack or lockers while others may have actually gone the extra mile to purchase lock bags and actually lock up those cell phones during cell phone hours,” Brantley explained.
While the law only mandates that districts have a policy, some schools decided to adopt stricter rules this year.
Quemado Independent School Takes Stricter Approach
At Quemado Independent School, west of Socorro, students are now required to place their phones in lock boxes for the entire school day. Principal Cindy Orthman says the change is already making a positive impact.
“Because when they’re in their backpacks, you’re still getting the notifications, you’re still hearing the buzzing of Snapchat or Instagram, whatever’s going off,” said Orthman.
Orthman reports that within just two weeks of the school year, she is already seeing a shift in student behavior.
“The engagement from the time they walk in the door, to finding their peers, eating, and socializing, and just being present, is night and day from what it was last year,” she said.
The school’s approach goes beyond discipline; it’s about teaching students to balance screen time. Orthman recommended the policy to other schools but acknowledged that, with only 90 students in grades 7-12, it’s easier to manage than it would be in larger schools.
Santa Fe Adopts More Flexible Approach
In Santa Fe, Mandela International Magnet School took a different route. After attempting a full ban last year, the school has eased restrictions this year by adopting Santa Fe Public Schools’ district-wide policy. It allows limited phone use at lunch and between classes, while still banning phone calls, gaming, cameras, and the use of earbuds.
Principal Randy Grillo believes that phones aren’t usually a problem in classrooms, but issues arise during in-between moments.
“In the past, I’ve noticed the vast majority of discipline issues stem from something that’s being photographed and posted online, and so taking that avenue away in school has drastically reduced how many discipline issues we have at school,” Grillo said.
Legislator Stresses Mental Health Concerns
Sen. Brantley believes that implementing consistent cell phone policies across the state is essential for student well-being.
“A number of school districts that were not implementing or had any sort of cell phone policy. We needed them to acknowledge the abuse that’s happening with our students. We need to acknowledge the mental health crisis, the bullying, the negative impacts of what’s happening with the amount of time that our students are spending on the phone,” she said.
Brantley also highlighted the role parents play in managing cell phone usage.
“The number one indicator of student success is parental involvement. So while the schools are doing their part to restrict cell phone use, I encourage parents to encourage their students to get off their phones during dinner time, to have face-to-face conversations, and make sure they’re doing their part in home to restrict cell phone use as well.”
Grillo echoed the importance of teaching personal responsibility.
“If we can ultimately teach students to be accountable and make decisions that are the best for a greater community, we don’t have to take things away from them — because hopefully they’re being thoughtful in their decisions in the first place,” Grillo said.
Funding for Lock-box Policies Remains an Issue
The original bill, SB11, had earmarked $10 million for school districts that needed funds to implement a lock-box or lock-pouch system. However, the funding was cut, and Sen. Brantley expressed hopes to revisit this issue in the next legislative session.
“We will return this next legislative session to try to get that funding back in and to create a grant program to reimburse school districts,” Brantley said.
While the Public Education Department is collecting copies of cell phone policies from every district across New Mexico, it remains unclear how many schools have actually implemented changes this year.
What are your thoughts on this approach? Let us know in the comments.
