District officials ban cell phone use at Dixie County High School

CROSS CITY, Fla. (WCJB) – Some middle and high school students in Dixie County will now be forced to put their phones away beyond school hours.

School officials announced that students at a Dixie County middle school will no longer be allowed to use cell phones during school hours.

In their announcement, they ask parents to remind children to keep their phones turned off and in their lockers or bags throughout the school day.

This caused some controversy, with many parents saying it was a good idea and could help prevent bullying. Some say they cannot support the change because of the possibility of a school shooting or medical emergency.

One parent says social media is harmful to children’s mental health and should not be used during school hours.

“I’ve been dealing with some issues with my child and bullying on social media and I know the school can’t control that, so it helps that they’re not the school recording the fights and threatening and doing all that,” said parent Denelle Kucharz .

Another parent is unsupportive and says he wants the children to have phones in case of an emergency.

“We recently had an incident with my son, who is an eighth-grade student, where he suffered a serious head injury due to bleeding. My son has had enough time to make four calls and I still haven’t received a call from the school,” said Bobbi Jo Lytte Burke, another parent.

One former student says she has a sibling who still attends the school and has concerns, but she also understands them from a student’s perspective.

“As a student, I definitely used my phone a lot. Getting an education is important, learning is important and that’s why you go to school,” said Maddie Missildine, a former student. “At the same time, in the event of a medical emergency, students should definitely be able to reach for their phone.”

Superintendent Mike Thomas said in a statement: “Cell phones are distracting and disrupting our efforts to provide high-quality instruction to our students. We asked students not to use mobile phones during classes. Instructional purposes, such as logging in to dual classes, will be permitted. The use of cell phones will be permitted on campus before and after school hours.”

In case of emergency, parents can contact the office and send a message to their children.

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