De Soto Schools ban cellphones during class time

Jan. 21, 2025

By ANASTASIA PENCHI

DE SOTO, Wis. – Beginning next week, at the beginning of the second semester, students will no longer be able to pull out their cell phones to check them during classes. They will, however, be allowed to use them during lunch and in between classes as long as it doesn’t cause problems or tardiness.

Ideally, administrators would prefer students just leave them in their lockers.

“Beginning on this date (Jan. 26), students will not be permitted to use cell phones or personal electronic communication devices during instructional time unless explicitly directed by a teacher for educational purposes or required as an accommodation,” according to the reminder email sent to parents this week.

“I’m not anticipating any major issues,” Principal Tim Fergot told the De Soto Area School Board at its regular January meeting. “It’s just going to take a lot of reminding.”

Wisconsin enacted Act 42 last October, which requires all school districts to adopt policies by July 1, 2026, that prohibit students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time. At least 30 other states have enacted similar laws, according to the non-profit website www.govfacts.org.

The De Soto Area School District already has a “Use of Electronic Devices” policy in place, but Fergot said it hasn’t been enforced at the high school level. At the elementary level, devices are prohibited. Middle School students can use them before or after school, but must leave them turned off in their lockers. High school students may use them before and after school, and during lunch time as long as their use meets behavioral expectations.

Uneven enforcement, along with “a good amount of incidences,” have prompted cell phone usage discussions between high school staff and administrators during the past two years, Fergot said. Cell phones can cause distractions during the school day, and Fergot said research shows they can be detrimental to learning.

“Parental monitoring of social media and cell phone usage is essential as part of a collaborative effort to assist in preventing bullying and unkind messages,” reads the district’s policy. “Messages of this nature adversely affect a child’s peer relationships and may negatively impact the school learning environment.”

Rather than implement the change at the beginning of the school year, Fergot said the district opted to wait to discuss the issue with its interim superintendent, Craig Gerlach. The district has had three superintendents during the past three years.

A “soft roll-out” was planned mid-year, Fergot said, along with a focus on rewards for compliance instead of punishments for violators. A group of students is helping to create the plan thanks to a $7,000 grant from SHAPE America, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“We understand this is going to be a huge adjustment for them,” Fergot said. “Everything is kind of a work in progress.”