In the recent school year, District 86, along with many more districts, has implemented the “Bell to Bell No Cell” policy, but are schools really safe enough for this? 

While the bell to bell policy is well intended, it ignores the dark reality of what is actually going on in schools along with the potential safety concerns. It could rob parents of the opportunity to communicate with students during an emergency or vice versa. 

There are countless situations where a phone would be crucial to use in the time of emergency but, the most realistic emergency which we all unfortunately know too well is an active shooter. 

In this situation a phone is not a distraction, it’s a lifeline. The ability to be able to contact 911 or in the worst case send a goodbye text to a loved one is critical and the bell to bell policy carelessly eliminates that.

However, the cell phone ban has come from genuine concerns. School officials are focusing on minimizing distractions, improving test scores, while also encouraging students to engage in face to face communication. 

While all of this is important, in a way it is an unacceptable trade off. Should we really be sacrificing life-saving communication for a slight bump in test scores?

The “Bell to Bell No Cell” policy attempts to solve a distraction with a dangerous solution. Although focus is important, it shouldn’t come in between a child’s safety. 

Until every school can guarantee absolute safety, districts must abandon bans. They should instead find solutions that teach responsible phone use while keeping the lifeline students and parents rely on in case of a true emergency.