Alton Superintendent Clarifies District's New Cell Phone Policy and Crisis Management Plan
Superintendent Elaine Kane explained how the new cell phone policy is affecting students' learning and safety.
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ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District #11 has chosen to become a phone-free district, and Superintendent Elaine Kane explains what this means and how it impacts student learning and safety.
In Spring 2025, the district announced that they would be cell phone-free for the entire instructional day, including during passing periods and lunchtime. Students at the middle and high schools have been issued Yondr pouches, which have magnetic locking mechanisms. They lock their devices in the pouch during the school day and have access to their pouch all day, until dismissal, when the pouches are unlocked.
Kane said that while it’s “a big adjustment,” students at both schools have quickly met the new expectations.
“Our students have adjusted very quickly and very well,” she said. “We’re really happy about how things are looking and feeling at Alton High School and Alton Middle School.”
She added that she has heard from many teachers, students and parents since the new cell phone policy was implemented, and they have highlighted the positives. Students have reported feeling more focused in class, while parents have noticed more interaction from their students when they return home.
Teachers and staff members have been excited to see more community at the school. Students bring Uno and card games to the cafeteria. One group of high schoolers started a book club so they can discuss their book over lunch. The librarian shared that the school library has more books checked out than normal.
Kane noted that most of the community’s concerns about the new cell phone policy have centered on safety. Parents questioned how they will be informed about an emergency on campus if students don’t have access to their cell phones.
Kane clarified that it has always been the district’s responsibility — not the students’ — to communicate with parents in the case of an emergency. She explained that the district collaborates with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Alton Police Department, and the I Love You Guys Foundation to create a crisis management plan.
If there is an emergency, students will be directed to take one of five steps. For example, a “hold” direction means that students are to stay in their classrooms. Kane noted that this might be the result of something like a medical emergency in the hallway. In the past, however, a “hold” direction has sometimes led to students contacting their parents and telling them the school is on lockdown.
There have also been false alarms in the past, when students shared rumors with their parents, which resulted in parents coming to the school buildings when there was no threat. This can disrupt the day and cause confusion. Kane encourages parents to trust that the school will communicate with them as needed.
She emphasized that the district works out of an abundance of caution. In the moment, they might not be able to share the details behind why they are putting one of their crisis management protocols in place. But they always work with their law enforcement partners to manage the situation, and they will contact parents as needed.
“Keep in mind that we take your student’s safety extremely seriously,” Kane said. “We aren’t going to give you false reassurances. If we say it, it’s because we know it’s true. If we don’t know, give us a minute to figure it out with our law enforcement partners.”
Kane reiterated that the cell phone policy and the crisis management plan have been carefully reviewed. She believes the new phone-free policy will lead to a stronger culture of belonging at Alton High School and Alton Middle School, which is one of the district’s strategic goals.
“The move was not made for any negative reason,” she added. “The reason we decided to go cell phone-free is because we think it’s the right thing to do. And sometimes the right thing to do is hard, but worth it. We did it because we want to set an excellent experience for our students on campus. We believe that this is a step in developing the culture that we intend to create.”
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