For the 2024-2025 school year, a large number of school infractions were due to electronic device use (cell phones) within the classroom. Florida state law (HB 1105) now bans the use of electronic devices for all elementary and middle school students from the arrival bell through dismissal bell. Additionally, the bill calls for a pilot program for six counties to ban the use in high schools (2 small counties, 2 medium counties, 2 large counties). Lee County was one of the counties selected by the state to institute a bell-to-bell ban at the high school level. Lee County School District Code of Conduct, Use of Electronic/Telecommunication Devices is the “display or use of a personal electronic or telecommunication device during school hours.”
Our main goal within the classrooms at Estero High School is to keep the focus on academics. Due to an overwhelming amount of classroom referrals being Electronic/Telecommunication device referrals, 39.5% of total referrals for the 2021-2022 school year, Estero High School enacted a new Electronic/Telecommunication Device policy within the classroom. Due to this policy, Electronic/Telecommunication device referrals totaled 2.95% of the referrals in the 2022-2023 school year. We did see an uptick in Cell Phone violations in the 2023-2024 School year, with 4.40% of our referrals being electronic device-related. In 2024-2025, we had a total of 1,363 students violate the policy in place for 2024-2025. Our 2024-2025 policy was that electronic device usage was only restricted during instructional time. Disciplinary consequences/referral occurred after a third violation within the same quarter. Electronic Device referrals accounted for 6.9% of the total referrals in 2024-2025.
If students are found to be in possession of an Electronic/Telecommunication Device during the school day, the following steps may be taken for student discipline:
Electronic Device Policy
- 1st Offense: Student will be sent to ISS to turn in the device, where it will be secured by Security. Returned to the student at the end of the day. Parent/Guardian will be notified.
- 2nd Offense: Student will be sent to ISS to turn in the device, where it will be secured by Security. Parent/Guardian will be notified. Returned to the student at the end of the day.
- 3rd Offense: Student will be sent to ISS to turn in the device, where it will be secured by Security. Parent/Guardian will be notified and requested to come pick up the cell phone.
- 4th Offense: Parent Meeting will be scheduled with the student and family. The student will be placed on a cell phone contract if behavior continues.
- 5th + Offense: Student will be placed on cell phone contract.
*Refusal to turn in electronics to security/student services will result in the student being picked up from school by a parent/guardian.
*Students may be placed on a cell phone contract if behavior continues.
As we continue to strive for academic excellence, we are hopeful that parents and students alike will assist us in achieving our goal of keeping the classroom setting driven by academic instruction.
We sincerely thank you for your support in this endeavor,
Wildcat Faculty and Staff