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Branford High School new phone policy begins Monday

The new cell phone policy is controversial among students as it requires students to give their cell phones to their teachers at the start of every class.

BRANFORD, Conn. — Branford High School is cracking down on cell phone use as it becomes the latest school district to take a stance on electronic devices during the school day.

The new cell phone policy is controversial among students and requires all students to give their cell phones to their teachers at the start of every class.

The school district says this is all in an effort to create a better learning environment.

RELATED: 'I hate it' | Middle school's new cell phone lockup policy is not sitting well with some parents

The teachers will have a school-approved storage device the phones will go in until the end of class. When the bell rings at the end of each period, students get their phones and devices back.

They’ll still have cell phone use in between classes in the hallways, in lunch and in study hall. But students won't be able to use their phones at all during a class period, even if they leave to use the bathroom.

Some students said the policy is too much while others disagree, saying devices are too big of a distraction.

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“I understand where they’re coming from but I feel like it’s overdone," said Junior Kaiori Herndon. "We should be able to take it more places and I feel like they’re taking it away from us."

“I think a lot of students don’t like the phone policy simply because it’s a very intricate part of people's lives nowadays. I think it’s an interesting policy because it is a major distraction for a lot of people,” said Edmund Bassett, a senior.

Torrington schools also took a stance on phones in class but took a much different approach than Branford.

Torrington Middle School locks up cell phones in an electronic pouch at the start of the day and unlocks it when the day is over.

That policy has been controversial with students and parents as well.

The new policy in Branford will go until the end of the school year and is expected to be in place next school year as well.

RELATED: No, police cannot force you to unlock your cellphone without a search warrant

Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

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