For Iola High School students, a cellphone isn’t just a lifeline to friends — it’s a measure of accountability. At Monday evening’s USD 257 Board of Education meeting, Principal Scott Carson shared how the school ties phone access to grades and attendance. He says it’s affecting student behavior and building stronger connections between staff, students, and parents.
Carson said the high school differs from other school districts, including Humboldt USD 258, which are moving toward strict cellphone bans. “I feel like Iola has been ahead of the curve for a number of years,” he said. “Instead of just saying ‘no phones,’ we looked at how to incentivize better habits and give students appropriate ways to use their devices.”
The core of the policy remains the same: students can use their phones before and after school, during lunch, and between classes. But since last year, students with two or more failing grades or unexcused absences must check their phones in at the office each morning. They receive a numbered tag, reclaim their device after school, and earn their phone back as soon as their grades or attendance improve. Iola Middle School prohibits students from using cellphones during school.
Carson said the shift at the high school was inspired by parenting logic. “As a dad, when your teenager gets in trouble, what’s the first thing you take away? The phone. That hurts more than anything,” he told the board. “Detentions and in-school suspensions don’t have the same teeth they used to. Phones do.”
THE APPROACH has created daily interactions between staff and struggling students. Carson and his son Assistant Principal Tristan Carson spend the first 30 minutes of each day checking in students with poor grades or attendance. “It gives us a chance to talk with them one-on-one, and often we call their parents, too,” Carson said. “Some of those conversations lead to tutoring or other support the kids might not have asked for otherwise.”
He admitted the process can be “part detective work” — from students turning in burner phones to creative excuses for skipping class — but said consistency is key. “It only works if we stick with it every day. The good news is, kids know exactly what’s expected, and they see right away how they can earn their privileges back.”
Superintendent Stacey Fager praised the approach, contrasting it with older strategies which often led to suspensions. “With punitive measures, some kids just didn’t care and the cycle repeated,” Fager said. “But their phones? They care about those. Families care, too. That makes this a much more powerful incentive.”
Board members also voiced support. Dan Willis said he liked that the policy allows room for growth. “It gives them an opportunity to correct an error instead of a zero tolerance rule,” he said. “You get a lot more reward by teaching kids how to use something responsibly than just saying ‘thou shall not.’”
Board President Jen Taylor likes how the policy forces daily connections with the students most at risk. “Those are the kids we need to talk to every single day,” she said. “If it was a blanket ban, those conversations wouldn’t happen.”
Carson agreed the goal goes beyond discipline. “Ultimately, we’re preparing them for college and careers,” he said. “They’re going to have their phones. They need to learn how to manage them — when to put them away and when it’s OK. Cellphones aren’t going away, so this is a way to help kids grow.”
The board’s conversation comes as an increasing number of school districts nationwide look to limit students’ use of phones in school. Approximately 77% of schools in the U.S. and at least 31 states, including Texas, California, New York and Florida, as well as Washington D.C., now require schools to ban or restrict cellphones. Educational research shows students often learn better in phone-free classrooms, while experts also point to benefits in students’ mental health.
Last December, a Kansas State Board of Education task force recommended a “bell to bell” cellphone ban but left the final decision to individual districts. In their report, they noted 97% of teens reported using their cellphone during school.
IN OTHER NEWS, Food Service Director Staci Talkington reported that the district’s Super Snack program continues to grow, with daily participation recently topping 200 students. The federally funded program offers snacks such as fruit, vegetables, and baked goods after school.
“I’m really excited that our numbers are going up,” Talkington said. “Today we had plums, carrots and peach coffee cake, and the kids loved it.” She credited the SAFE BASE after-school program with helping boost participation and praised food service staff for keeping the program running while short-staffed.
Talkington is also working with the Kansas State Board of Education to ensure special education students — who often load buses before snacks are distributed — will be included. “Since we have so many of those kids who come here from different buildings or different locations, it would be nice if we could give them something to eat before they leave,” she noted.
Fager said other Kansas districts are beginning to launch similar programs. “It’s a great resource for families,” he said. “It doesn’t replace dinner, but it helps kids stay full and focused until they’re home.”
