Lockport Township High School District 205 has adopted a new practice to reduce the use of cellphones by students during the day.

As announced by student board members in a social media video, the district has implemented the use of “Porter Pockets” in classrooms at both East and Central campuses.

“Porter Pockets” are a row of numbered hanging storage cubbies that have been placed in each classroom. Students are required to put their silenced or powered-off phones into an assigned pocket in each classroom upon entry to prevent unauthorized use.

Students still are allowed to use phones in the cafeteria and the library, or when explicitly permitted by a teacher in the classroom. Students with medical needs that require the use of phone apps also will be given special accommodations to keep their phones.

While students are allowed to carry their phones during the day, the use of phones or headphones in hallways is prohibited as a safety precaution, and smart watches and other personal technology beyond school issued Chromebooks must remain off.

The storage initiative is part of what the district described as a “broader conversation at LTHS 205 around student engagement, discipline and responsible technology use.”

Deans at both campuses have met with students to explain why the new policies are being implemented, and teachers were instructed to detail when students would be allowed to use phones in their rooms at the start of the school year.

The new plan has not officially changed any district policy, but rather, it aims to reinforce existing rules by requiring students to keep their phones out of reach at most times in the classroom.

The district plans to more strictly enforce disciplinary action for breaking cellphone rules as laid out in the school handbook.

The district also distributed an official position statement on the use of phones to LTHS families, “calling for a renewed, concerted effort from our students, staff, administration and parents to help address the increasing challenges of personal technology use on campus and in the lives of our students.”

“We believe technology can enrich learning when used intentionally and under teacher direction, but unregulated cellphone and personal device use undermines focus, collaboration and meaningful engagement and has potential to damage students’ mental health and sense of safety,” according to the policy statement, which asks parents and guardians to “model, promote and encourage appropriate uses for and boundaries with cellphones and personal technology.”

At the urging of Gov. JB Pritzker, the state of Illinois was considering a bill in the last legislative session that would have officially regulated cellphone use in schools statewide; however, it failed to pass.