FILE: A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
Rick Bowmer / AP
Beginning this year, students in Lake Oswego will not be allowed to use their cellphones during the school day. It’s one of Oregon’s most sweeping cellphone bans, as interest has increased across the country in limiting use of cellphones at school.
Lake Oswego’s superintendent announced the policy Wednesday to parents but didn’t provide specifics on how the ban would be implemented or enforced. The Lake Oswego school board is expected to finalize a policy before the school year begins.
Portland Public Schools is also considering restrictions on cellphones, but hasn’t finalized a policy either. Some Portland schools are implementing tighter rules on cellphones, including the use of secure phone pouches at some campuses.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has said she wants a statewide policy on cellphone use in schools. But that won’t come before school starts.