MERIDIAN, Idaho — We're ten weeks into the school year, and Capital High School students feel a shift in priorities.
This year is the first CHS has enforced a cellphone policy. Students need to keep their devices out of sight from bell-to-bell during class. They can have them during passing periods, and lunch.
"You're not as disconnected," Ellie Mauzerall, ASB Vice President and CHS senior said. "From peer to peer, peer to teacher is just talking more, interacting more, and also just school seems to become more of a priority, which is really nice."
ASB President Emma Oliver added, "It kind of feels so full circle."
Oliver said many students were hesitant about the ban at first, but they are pleased with what they're seeing now.
"Change is hard, and I think it's easy to complain about something that gets taken away," Mauzerall said. "But it my grades are great. A lot of my friends say that they have seen changes in their grades."
First quarter grades are out, and the report shows A and B grades have risen, while C, D, and F grades have gone down for the whole school.
"I totally think it's because of phones," Mauzerall said.
"My grades are the best they've been out of all of high school," Oliver said. "I feel like I'm killing it, and I feel like not having my phone is a part of that, because I didn't necessarily think I was someone who was distracted by it, but you don't even realize, like, you totally are. You're on it all the time, and it's just like in the back of your mind. So, it's nice to, like, be completely disconnected and be really able to focus on school."
Nancy Stephan, who's been at CHS for over 30 years, noticed an increase in test scores from last year.
"I took the average on my first test last year and my first test this year, and compared the two, and it was like, overwhelmingly better," Stephan said. "I mean, having a 77 class average is fine, like, that's decent. But then this year, it was an 85 which, I mean, that's awesome."
When asked if she feels the higher grades have any connected to the cellphone policy, she said "certainly."
"Obviously... I'm looking at two different groups of kids, but I like to account for the things, like, I have no late homework," Stephan said. "Their homework is turned in, and that also contributes to higher grades. So, I feel like it's all kind of connected. "
Mauzerall and Oliver said they both prefer to have the cellphone ban and are enjoying the increase in connection with their peers.