SUPERIOR — Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) visited Superior Schools on Tuesday to learn more about the district's cell phone policy.
This comes a month after he wrote a letter to all of Montana's superintendents and school board trustees recommending a cell phone free learning environment.
"An average teenager's cell phone gets over 200 notifications a day", Gianforte shared. "I think that the purpose of our schools is for students to learn," he continued.
Sometimes, kids spend all their class time on their phones.
"It can be difficult when I'm trying to learn, trying to focus what the teacher is saying or what's on the board. I'm just thinking, in my pocket, I've got all these notifications that I need to check," said student Lane DiGiando.
At Superior High School, they're doing away with distraction by using an out-of-sight, out-of-mind policy.
"As much as I do want to just be whipping out my phone in class and sending a snap or something like that, it is really helpful in terms of distraction to have it away in my locker," DiGiando added.
The policy makes sure devices are either in backpacks, lockers, or with teachers.
"I feel like the out-of-sight policy works really well because if you're not looking at it, it's less likely to distract you if you can't hear it. You're not thinking about it. So, for me, I don't look at it. I don't hear it. I'm not thinking about it. I'm not distracted," explained student Perri Jasper.
Gianforte is seeking cell phone free school campuses. So, he stopped by Superior — which has a cell phone plan instead of a ban — to get more insight.
"Cell phones are very addictive and every time it buzzes you want to know who's getting in touch with you. And unfortunately, that takes your attention away from learning in the classrooms. That's why we've been promoting to make schools cell free zones," he told MTN.
However, with the uptick across the country in school violence incidents and recent threats in Kalispell and Missoula schools, cell phones are how students can connect with their families in dire situations.
"Every teacher has on their cell phone and on their computer. When we have an emergency situation, we have alarms that go off and teachers check in, 'Hey, all my students are accounted for and safe'. It goes to admin and then we're reporting out to the sheriff's office and emergency response, 'hey everything's safe'," Superior School District Superintendent Logan Labbe detailed.
"They make exceptions where medical reasons are required. And if a student needs to be in touch with their parents, they just ask, go to the office and they call the parents," Gianforte noted about Superior's emergency plan. "It's readily available if it's needed in an emergency situation, but it's not distracting learning."
"I think that our staff is really flexible and really understanding. And I feel like if there some sort of emergency were to occur, if I needed to pull out my phone and call my mom or dad, then they would always say, surely, go ahead, that's okay," DiGiando offered.
While in school, students say they are more involved with their friends and classmates.
"If I'm connecting with other kids at school without my phone it's a personal connection versus texting them. And it's not real. If you're talking to everybody else, you're building that connection, you're growing as a person," stated Jasper.
