Just last year, pulling a phone out during school to send a text or scroll through Twitter could result in a referral.

This year, students stroll through the halls with their cell phones in hand without consequence.

According to Naperville North Dean Jim Konrad, the District 203 School Board has been drafting a new cell phone policy for several months, which was put into place for the 2015-2016 school year. The new policy allows students to use cellphones freely during passing periods, lunch and study hall.

“It’s a part of life. It would be foolish to maintain a policy we can’t live up to,” Konrad said. 

Administrators hope that the openness of the new policy will teach students to make responsible choices when using their cell phones in school rather than enforcing a system in which students have to sneak cellphone usage.

“We want to get to the point where we are teaching kids digital citizenship so they know there’s a time and a place to use their phones,” Konrad said.

Naperville North Principal Stephanie Posey thinks that the old cell phone policy was somewhat ineffective.

“It would be very naive of us to think that cell phones are not used all the time,” Posey said.

Especially since every NNHS student has been provided with a Chromebook this school year, Posey said she sees technology as an unavoidable aspect of daily life.

“It’s become a way of life,” Posey said. “It’s become integral to what we do.”

Senior Luc Waked also thinks that the new policy is a positive change since cell phone use is too difficult to regulate.

“Trying to prevent people from using their phones in the hallways is kind of pointless,” Waked said.

Others, like senior Taylor Miskovic, see some drawbacks with the new policy.

“I think it’s a little too lenient,” Miskovic said. “Instead of socializing with their friends, people are just on their phones.” 

While the new policy is lenient in some respects, it remains strict in others.

Although students are allowed to use their phones during passing periods, study halls and lunch, administrators still consider the classroom a learning environment in which cell phone use without permission is unacceptable.

“My belief is that the classroom should remain sacred,” Konrad said.

According to Konrad, there will continue be consequences for in-class cellphone usage.

Using cell phones at unacceptable times isn’t the only concern regarding the new policy in Posey’s opinion.

“As an administrator, other things I worry about are inappropriate use of photos and social media,” Posey said.

Konrad thinks the majority of NNHS students make good decisions and only a handful do the wrong thing.

“We have amazing kids at North,” Konrad said. “We raised $100,000 for cancer last year, and you see how they work with our special education students. Our kids are amazing.”

Posey hopes that the new policy is a step in the right direction and will benefit NNHS students and staff.

“As long as everybody is using their phones the way they should, I say that we should embrace them,” Posey said.