Generally cloudy. High 86F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Thunderstorms likely. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Updated: July 11, 2024  1:04 pm. . . Video Journalist. Proponents of the pilot program believe limiting cell phone use in schools will increase test scores and improve student behavior. Photo: CBS. DELAWARE Summer is in full swing, but students will be headed back to the classroom in a short two months. This school year, some Delaware students may not have access to their cell phones for the entire school day. Delaware ranks 45th in the nation for education, according to a recentreportby the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national nonprofit organization. The State Department of Education and the General Assembly are looking at ways to improve this ranking and it seems they have identified cell phones as a contributing issue. This year, nearly 300,000 has been allocated in the state s onetime spending bill for locking cell phone pouches. These pouches are designed to keep students' phones inaccessible during the school day. The students place their phones in a pouch or a secure bag that has a locking device on it and at the end of the day they can retrieve their phone, explained State Sen. Eric Buckson RDover, a strong supporter of the initiative. The districts themselves would apply and it would be on a limited basis, so it wouldn t be districtwide. It wouldn t necessarily be multiple schools; it could be a school or a section of a school, Buckson added. However, not all parents are on board with the idea. Bobby Wilson expressed concerns about emergency situations. The kids should have phones in case of an emergency so they can get a hold of somebody parents, anybody whether there is something going on in school and they need 911, Wilson said. Buckson addressed this concern, stating, Somehow we functioned in a world that had emergencies without cell phones. We ll be alright. But if there is an emergency, parents still have cell phones, administrators still have cell phones, teachers can still have them. . Details on which schools have applied for or plan to implement the program have not yet been disclosed. Video Journalist. . . Local forecast for Thursday, July 11, 2024.More weatherWBOC Morning Weather: July 11, 2024. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
Delaware is considering implementing a pilot program to limit cell phone use in schools to improve test scores and student behavior. Nearly $300,000 has been allocated for cell phone pouches that lock devices during the school day. While some parents worry about emergencies, proponents believe the initiative will benefit students. Specific schools participating in the program have not been disclosed yet.