WINSLOW, Maine (WABI) – One hot topic this year when it comes to back-to-school safety is Maine’s recent cell phone ban, which keeps personal devices out of classrooms but leaves the specific enforcement decisions to the individual school districts.
In Winslow, school leaders have decided to allow high schoolers to keep their phones secured in their backpacks.
Winslow School Resource Officer Ellen Stewart says she understands that some parents are nervous about not having instant contact with their children, but believes the policy keeps classrooms safer.
“I understand parents’ concerns about their children not having access to devices if a critical incident does occur,” Stewart said. “I think our kids are way more in danger from what they have access to through the internet than they are from what’s going to happen walking through the hallways in the school.”
Stewart points out that heavy cellular traffic can easily overwhelm network towers during emergencies, potentially blocking first responders.
She is optimistic that districts will monitor the effectiveness of how they enforce the cell phone ban and adjust as needed, adding that parents should always feel free to reach out to the school’s main office if they need to contact their children during the school day.
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