Wisconsin Schools Turning to Phone‐Free Learning 

If you’ve been in education long enough, you know that every generation of students brings new challenges. But nothing has disrupted classrooms quite like the smartphone. The challenges we face today (financial instability, mental health crises, staffing shortages, and academic struggles) are as magnified and urgent as those during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as the pandemic exposed deep vulnerabilities in our education system, the current storm now demands bold leadership and lasting solutions. 

Across Wisconsin, schools are asking: What if we took phones out of the equation entirely? 

That’s exactly what St. Catherine’s High School in Racine did in 2021. Counselor Jeff Tarkowski said the change was immediate: “I don’t see any phones at all. At lunch, kids are actually talking to one another again.” Medford School District shared similar results. Principal Jill Lybert reported, “Our grades are going up. Creating a phone-free environment has really helped staff stay consistent with the policy, and parents are very supportive.” The outcome?Less drama, fewer discipline issues, and far more focus.

As administrators, we spend a lot of time thinking about culture. A phone-free environment changes the tone of a school: students look up, engage with teachers, and connect with one another. The research is catching up with what educators already know, which is that less phone time means more learning time. On average, a phone-free environment gives most teachers an extra 20 minutes of teaching/learning time. Every day.That’s 100 minutes a week. 875 minutes a quarter. 3,500 minutes a year of uninterrupted learning. 

Most recently, Forest Park Middle School in Franklin has launched a phone-free initiative. Within weeks, students were reflecting on its positive impact, and Student Services introduced themed lunch activities, like conversation prompts and games, to boost engagement and self-management skills.

If your school is wrestling with constant classroom disruptions, or you’re looking for a way to support student mental health and engagement, consider joining the growing list of Wisconsin schools going phone-free. Our children are not statistics. They are future doctors, teachers, coders, and leaders. It’s not just about limiting distractions; it’s about giving kids their attention (and their relationships) back. 

Resources & Links 

• Wisconsin DPI Cell Phone Policy Continuum: Learn more about district options for managing cellphone use (Wisconsin DPI). 

• State Legislative Outlook: Follow efforts around proposed phone‐use laws in classrooms
• Email [email protected] to receive a free parent toolkit sponsored by Common Sense Media & explore the Yondr website to discover how they’ve helped schools tackle this critical challenge!