Feature Photo by: Kenya Lee- Seniors Jayvion Swain (left) and  Imani Williams (right) are in the Commons listening to music. The new Rangeview Cell Phone policy left students with the ability to only use their cellphones in the Commons and Hallways, limiting students greatly to screen time during school hours.

By: Savana Kovacs, Review Staff

With students returning for the new school year, there have been some changes. New teachers, new sports coaches, and most notably, the new cell phone policy.

Many students are noticing that Rangeview’s policies regarding cell phones are becoming more strict than in years past, they can no longer be used as freely as they used to be. Thus, the students are beginning to wonder why the policy was created and why it is so strict.

“It derived completely out of classroom observations,” said Principal Mr. Ron Fay. “When we were looking at the instruction [in classrooms], the number of students who were completely disengaged.”

Continuing on the topic of disengagement, Fay mentioned how the lack of attention is a respect issue as well.

“Imagine me sitting here, right now with my earbuds in with music playing and you talking to me. How would you feel?” Fay said.

This school year’s new cell phone policy enforces that students keep their cellphones away in class while there is instruction is going on, unless the teachers allow you to use the cellphones in the classroom for educational purposes.

Teachers throughout the school have used cellphones for many different reasons to get students engaged such as with Kahoot! Quizzes, or even something as simply as using their cellphones as a calculator in the classroom.

Fay had stated that staff members can allow students to use their cellphones as long as it is for an educational purpose and has a definite ending and beginning use period.

Sophomore Kaleb Starling stated that the cell phone policy, “Hasn’t really affected me personally, except for when I would look stuff up that I didn’t know in class”.

Instead he feels that he does not really like the cellphone policy because it feels like they are taking away some of the freedoms of high school.

“Even in the hallways or on the way to the bathroom, the only other time that we could use our cell phones besides lunch was taken away from us,” says Starling.

Math teacher Ms. Wetzel also shared some of her thoughts on the cellphone policy.

“I initially had mixed feelings, because there are times when I use cellphones in my classroom and I also understand that students like to listen to music when they are taking a test or doing individual work,” stated Wetzel. “But at the same time I was going to be able to get rid of the distraction part of the cell phone too.”  

Fay also acknowledged that there were other teachers around the school that felt the same about the cellphone policy, seeing cellphones as not a distraction, but a tool to engage students and create an interactive classroom.

“I don’t police professionals in their judgement… I’ve been in Mr. Sandt’s room and I know Mr. Kiss was adamant about saying hey look I needs this,” said Fay.

Starting off the new year with the cellphone policy is a change from last year, but is something that in many people’s eyes can be better for the school as a whole. This new phone policy may seem strict but can be more helpful than harmful according to some.