The Cordova School District (CSD) is planning to restrict personal cell phone access for students in 9th grade, starting in the 2026-27 school year.
District policy as of 2021 states students are allowed to bring their cell phones to school, but the school may also restrict access and usage. The Cordova Jr./Sr. High School’s current practice mandates that 7th and 8th grade students turn their phones off and leave them in their lockers all day, while high schoolers are permitted to keep their device on their person unless individual teachers designate their classrooms as cell-phone-free zones.
However, starting next year, 9th graders will also have to keep their phones off and in their lockers all day.
Paul Tancrede, Cordova Jr./Sr. High School principal, told Board of Education members that he sees a benefit to the new policy.
“We have seen a significant reduction in nervous behaviors, there were lots of students who felt compelled to always check (their phones),” Tancrede said. “That was part of our onus for making our change.”
At the request of school board members, Tancrede during last week’s Board of Education meeting presented data regarding cell phone use in the classroom. He said seven out of the 10 district teachers he surveyed say the current policy is effective. And when it comes to whether or not teachers see cell phones as a distraction in the classroom, six teachers said “rarely” and another two said “never.”
In addition, half of the surveyed teachers said they already don’t allow high school students to use cell phones in the classroom.
Tancrede said he hasn’t received any negative feedback on the new policy, but a few parents have said they’d actually support extending the restriction to all Cordova Jr./Sr. High School students.
However, Tancrede has made it clear he thinks outright bans are ineffective, especially at the 11th- and 12th-grade levels.
“I think whole-school bans are dangerous. We don’t send kids out in the world unprepared, and they are going to have to use their cell phones at some point,” Tancrede told board members.
“Do I think that there would be some possible positive results in doing a whole-school ban? There might be, but I think also once you start telling 18-year-olds they can’t check their phone ever, that’s a whole other bag of worms,” he added.
The conversation regarding cell phone use in Cordova schools mirrors those in districts across the state and country. The Anchorage School District last year passed a measure banning cell phone use during class district-wide. Other places, like New York, have recently even passed what’s known as a bell-to-bell ban in public schools – where students are prohibited from using their cell phones all day, including during lunch and passing periods.
While Tancrede has already collected data from CSD teachers, school board members also emphasized gaining insight from students on their cell phone use.
“When I read a lot of articles about cell phones I’m trying to see how that fits in with what we’ve already done,” said Board Member Emma Merritt. “Are we noticing the same things, are we noticing something completely different? I’m just trying to see what the impact has been for our students.”
The board and Tancrede tossed out the idea of surveying students at the beginning of next year and again at the end, but the principal indicated data from teachers and administrators might be of more value.
“I’m not certain that your 7th or 8th grade, or even your 9th grade students, would be able to notice or name that behavior, per se, even if it’s noticeable by adults,” he said.
The 2026-27 school year starts on Aug. 18.
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