Marietta City Schools shares details on cellphone ban: 'It’s created a community among students'

MARIETTA, Ga. - The Marietta School Board is considering extending a cellphone ban from middle schools to Marietta High School, following what officials describe as significant benefits in classrooms where phones are already prohibited.

In June, the board voted unanimously to ban cellphones at Marietta Sixth Grade Academy and Marietta Middle School. Since the start of the school year, students at both schools have been required to lock their phones in pouches, which are secured and stored away until the end of the school day.

Superintendent Grant Rivera outlined the program's impact during a Marietta City Schools meeting on Tuesday. The district partnered with researchers from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University to study the ban’s effects on student behavior, academic performance, and mental well-being.

"When we ask teachers if there’s less of a disruption in their classrooms, the answer is they overwhelmingly tell us it is better," said Rivera.

  (FOX 5)

Marietta Sixth Grade Academy Principal Keynun Campbell echoed those sentiments, noting that the policy has strengthened student connections. "It’s created a community among students," Campbell said.

While Rivera advocates for expanding the policy to high school students, the proposal has sparked opposition among some students.

"A lot of people are concerned about their safety and other things, so students wanted a chance to speak out and stand up for themselves," said Addison Moreland, a Marietta High School junior who launched an online petition against the ban. The petition has already garnered hundreds of signatures.

Rivera emphasized the importance of community input before any final decision is made. "My responsibility is to make the right decision for our children and engage our community in that discussion, and that’s what I’m doing," he said.

Over the next few months, the district will hold discussions and meetings with students, staff, and families to gather feedback on the proposed high school cellphone restrictions.