COEUR d'ALENE — Nearly 1,400 people by Friday afternoon had signed a change.org petition that was started by a high school student in opposition of a Coeur d'Alene School District policy that bans the use of personal electronic devices during the school day.

Coeur d'Alene High junior Ryan Drappo, 16, launched the petition in response to policy 3265-P regarding personal electronic devices.

The policy states students may bring devices and use them before and after school and at staff discretion, however they must be turned off and off-person in the classroom and may not be used during passing or lunch periods. Students with disabilities who have documented accommodations as stated in their specialized education plans may be allowed to possess devices as specified. 

“In classrooms it makes a lot of sense to me because that’s where it can affect your focus,” Ryan said in a Friday article by Idaho Education News. “During lunch and passing periods, it’s unreasonable to do that.” 

In the petition, Ryan calls the policy "outrageous."

"Banning cellphones during lunch and passing periods goes against the negative academic impacts," the petition states. "Many of us students now use cellphones to socialize, as the large amounts of technical advancements in the past decade have changed how most groups, and especially the youth socialize. Although this policy may seem justified, it is going against modern innovation with media and socialization."

The petition calls for the prohibition of device use during lunch and passing periods to be revoked "in order to foster better friendships and continue helping create a balance of having the time of the day to enjoy ourselves, and having a time of the day to work hard."

A petition supporter, Alicia of Coeur d'Alene, wrote that as a parent, she finds it "abhorrent" that the high schools expect students to be responsible young adults, but yet school officials don't have that kind of trust in the students.

"I understand not having it out during class, but during breaks and lunch?" Alicia wrote. "Do the teachers follow that same policy? No need for the school board to answer. The answer is no. They would know that if they checked the student/parent surveys."

The policy was updated and listed as an information item on the Nov. 18 school board agenda.

"We updated it again in December based on the parameters from the State Department of Education to receive a $5,000 grant and added it for information again at the Jan. 13 meeting," district Community Relations Director Stefany Bales said Friday. "The main Personal Electronic Device policy — 3625 — has not been updated since 2018."

Lake City and Coeur d'Alene high schools are slowly rolling out the policy and are expected to more actively implement it in the next couple weeks. 

The policy and procedure align with Gov. Brad Little's Phone Free Learning Act, a statewide directive that requires Idaho public school districts to implement policies limiting student access to cellphones during school time to create a more focused and effective learning environment.

"Our PED policy was developed to ensure compliance with this order while prioritizing student safety and educational outcomes," the district shared in a statement. "To support student achievement, this policy limits PED use during the school day."

District officials said they understand that change is difficult and behavior adjustments are challenging.

"However, the goal is to create the best possible learning experience for all students, both academically and socially," the district said.

The petition and policy may be discussed by trustees during the Feb. 10 board meeting at the Midtown Center Meeting Room, 1505 N. Fifth St., Coeur d’Alene.