ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Parkway’s new policy, passed by the district’s board with a unanimous vote Wednesday, will bar elementary and middle school students from using any personal devices from arrival to dismissal.

High school students could still use their phones during passing periods and lunch, but teachers will require students to place them in designated storage areas at the beginning of class.

“We need to teach our students to be responsible users of their phones, so we’re not banning them for the whole school day,� Kevin Beckner, assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and accountability, said.

Parkway joins a growing list of local schools cracking down on cellphone usage as school leaders work to limit distractions and improve kids’ mental health.

Last fall, several ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½-area schools banned all or most cellphone usage after previous policies and student codes failed to prevent scrolling in class. In January, Normandy Schools Collaborative banned cellphones from school grounds entirely.

Growing research suggesting cellphone use negatively impacts students’ mental health and learning has galvanized some local parents. Last August, a group of Kirkwood parents calling for the Kirkwood school board to ban smartphones district-wide. Clayton parents did the same in June and garnered over .

The topic has grown in popularity since the “The Anxious Generation� book published in March 2024, which claimed smartphones and social media caused an “epidemic of mental illness� among youth.

Parkway’s previous policy allowed for building administrators and teachers to decide how to handle phones. But district leaders heard an increasing number of concerns from staff and families, Beckner said.

Teachers were constantly having to tell students to put their phones away, he said. Students would be on their phones in class to look at texts or social media.

“If they can’t put their phone away, then we’re going to create a system where they have to put it away,� Beckner said.

Punishments will vary depending on grade level and how many offenses a student has racked up. In the most severe scenario, high schoolers could receive detention or in- or out-of-school suspension. Violations at the elementary or middle school level could result in office referrals — or parents called to pick up the devices.

There will be exceptions for students with documented medical needs or disability accommodations. Phone use will also be allowed in emergency situations or for teacher-approved instructional purposes.

Beckner said Parkway modeled the new policy from other area school districts. He specifically cited City of St. Charles and Ladue, whose high school started prohibiting cellphones during school hours about three years ago.

“We’re not trying to punish students for using phones,� Beckner said. “We really want them to learn how to use technology appropriately.�