This school year has brought several new rule changes, including a ban on cell phones and backpacks in classrooms, and shorter passing periods. While administrators say these changes are meant to improve learning and meet scheduling requirements, students have voiced mixed reactions.

Junior Maden Brady says the new phone rule has helped him focus in class, but he dislikes other changes. “Bring back the backpack,” Maden said. “It can be a hassle to go back and forth to our lockers when we could have our supplies with us.” He also feels the shortened passing time has caused more tardiness.

Senior Logan Hammett agrees that the cell phone rule has helped students stay on task. “It’s keeping me more focused in class,” he said. But like Maden, Logan dislikes the backpack ban and reduced passing time. “Backpacks need to come back,” he added. “They keep all our supplies in one spot.”

Principal Mr. Ben Learned explained that some of the rules came from higher up. “Cell phones were enforced by the diocese to stay in lockers. With phones in lockers, backpacks must go in lockers as well,” he said. Learned also noted that the adjustment to passing periods came from a scheduling requirement: “Classes were originally 49 minutes, but to get the maximum amount of pay for teachers through Jackson Public Schools, they needed to be 50 minutes long. Instead of starting earlier or later, we pushed passing period time by one minute.”

Despite student frustration, Learned said the administration is continually reviewing policies. “We meet constantly to look for changes and weigh the positives and negatives,” he explained. While he understands students’ concerns, he emphasized that following rules is part of preparation for the future: “It’s a normal reaction to be upset, but this will not be the last rule students have to follow.”