Mountain Home High School will implement new cell phone restrictions starting in the fall 2026 school year, requiring students to store their devices during class.Students will keep their phones in a backpack or caddy during ins truction time. The new policy still allows phone use during lunch and passing periods, and students will use school-issued devices for classwork. WATCH | Why some are concerned about the new Mountain Home High School phone policy Mixed reactions on Mountain Home High School's new phone restrictionsMountain Home School District Superintendent James Gilbert said the decision came after working closely with administration leaders on campus."Our new policy is not a ban, I would just call it a restriction," Gilbert said. "We want to make sure that that class time we're devoting to having engaged students in our classroom.Currently, the rules vary by teacher. Former Mountain Home High School English teacher Yvonne Owens tried a similar rule in her classroom last year and saw the benefits."They were talking to one another. They were talking to me. They were doing their assignments. They weren't as distracted by the world, Owens said. Every time that phone buzzes, and if it's bad news, then they're hurt by it. If it's good news, they get a little bit of a dopamine adjustment.Parents like Michelle Weber support making the change school-wide."I like it. I think it's a good idea. The phone interrupts her class big time, said Weber about her freshman daughter. It's that bing bing bing, well gotta go look in that phone and stuff.While many parents and teachers support the new phone policy, some students are raising safety concerns. Earlier this month, a man pointed a gun at students while they were at lunch off campus, putting the school on lockdown.ALSO READ | Police identify suspect accused of pointing a shotgun at Mountain Home High School studentsMountain Home High School senior Cole Stubblefield said situations like that raise concerns about communication."What would have happened if they didn't have access to their phone? I know that people texted their parents, and that's something that I think needs to be an opportunity," Stubblefield said. "I get that in practice it seems like a good idea, but I just think if students are going to distract themselves, they're always going to find a way to distract themselves.This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less