Wauwatosa School District will require students to keep cellphones off their person all day
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A distraction in a pocket.
That's how some are describing cellphones, after the Wauwatosa School Board voted unanimously earlier this week, to ban student's personal devices during the school day.
Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, students will not be allowed to have their cellphones, laptops, tablets, and more on their person.
According to a letter shared with staff and families, the change came from a "continuous call from the community."
CBS 58 spoke with district parents on Wednesday, June 11, who agreed with the board's decision.
“It’s good to see they finally have something set for the entire district," said Cullin Weiskopf. “It’s good for them to concentrate on being a high schooler, being a kid.”
Weiskopf added that he made it through his educational journey without a device.
“I went to school without a cellphone, my parents were able to get a hold of me, so there’s definitely ways that we can make this work for the betterment of our kids and 'Tosa as a whole," Weiskopf said.
Mary Wilkes, the great aunt of a district student, said she also approved of the change.
"That will allow the children to focus more on what’s going on in the classroom and being able to learn and just retain more, because the distraction of your phone ringing and things like that," Wilkes said. "Even though you think you’re hearing what’s going on, it’s still a distraction and what you’re hearing is probably going to stick more than what the instructor and teacher is saying and so I think that’s a good thing.”
However, students disagreed with the vote, telling CBS 58 while cellphones and other devices can be a distraction, they shouldn't be taken away for good.
“Feels like they’re kind of stealing our freedom just to be social and communicate with other people inside of school," said 14-year-old Sullivan Dyer. “Outside of the classroom I think it’s not a bad thing if it’s managed timewise.”
Another student, 13-year-old Louis Johnson, brought up the safety element devices can provide.
“I get that it’s a distraction, but you also shouldn’t be going to these extreme extents to limit the entirety of cellphone usage during school time," Johnson said. “I feel like if something goes on and you need to communicate with someone; there’s a lot of issues there and some people might not have many options if they’re in an emergency.”
According to Ballotpedia, more than half of the country has enacted laws or policies on cellphone usage in schools.
Later this summer, the district said they plan to provide updates and further details, which would include possible exceptions and punishments if the rules are broken.
Read the entire letter sent out below:
WSD Staff, Guardians, and Secondary Students,
On June 9, 2025, our School Board voted 7-0 to update Policy 5136 - Personal Communication Devices (PCD). Specifically, starting with the 2025-2026 school year, students will be required to keep their personal communication devices (e.g., cellphones, smart watches, etc. - see definition of PCD below) off of their person all school day. This change was a continuous call from our community and one that is grounded in research and our community-wide survey data. If interested, please explore the Tech and Society Lab of New York University, who continues to generate research to help the public make sense of and navigate the rapid, social and technological changes reshaping our lives. Additionally, many states have instituted legislation regarding cellphone use in public schools. Updated state-level policy information for all states can be found here.
The Division of Pupil and Family Supports has been anticipating this potential shift and has been actively teaming and collaborating with staff, guardians, students, and school leaders to create an implementation plan, anticipate potential problems, proactively plan around anticipated problems, and create a supportive disciplinary flowchart for any violations. This plan will include exceptions for students who have disability and/or health-related needs that require specific PCD use (e.g., diabetes management). Additional teaming will occur throughout the summer. Details of the finalized plan will be included in all parent and student handbooks for the 2025-2026 school year, including a live link to our growing FAQ to support implementation. Lastly, a strong communication campaign for this change is also in development and will begin this summer with additional information, clarity, and resources.
Thank you for your partnership as we support students and guardians through this change in order to foster more supportive environments and distraction-free learning, and to better mitigate the social, emotional, academic and psychological impact PCD use has on our students’ developing brains.
Sincerely,
The Wauwatosa School District
Definition of PCD in board policy: Personal communication devices ("PCDs") include computers, laptops, tablets, e-readers, cellular/mobile phones, smartphones, and/or other web-enabled devices of any type.