MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The school board made its decision in May, and reminders have been going out ahead of the fall session about the new cell phone policy.
The new rules ban all wireless communication devices including cell phones, smart glasses and smart watches from classrooms, meaning students must leave them in lockers, cars or at home.
District Superintendent Lee Tennis says this will help students focus and achieve.
Most students I spoke with aren't happy about the change.
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"I feel like the rule is a little bit unfair," one student said.
"I don't really like it," said another.
"Um I don't like it," a third student commented.
Incoming freshman Bryar Behnke at Lincoln High School worries about getting in touch with his parents.
"What if your parents text you or something and you can't look at your phone or it's an emergency," Behnke said.
Junior at Lincoln High School Cadence Fischer has more concerns about privacy.
"I feel like you should be able to contact your parents if something were to happen and you don't feel comfortable sharing that," Fischer said.
I spoke to a few middle schoolers as well who say it's not a big deal now, but they wouldn't like it in high school.
"In middle school I feel like you don't need it because some kids in middle school don't even have a phone because their parents don't think they need one yet," said Quinn Moore, a sixth grader at Washington Middle School.
In its announcement, the district does say that if a student has medical needs, they will put a plan in place.
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