Shane Voss, with the full backing of faculty two years ago, banned all cellphone use at Mountain Middle School during school hours. Students at the Durango school are expected to turn off their cellphones and stow them in their locker or backpack before classes begin each morning.
“It’s all about being present and that’s tough to do in our culture these days,” Voss said. “We see learning as a sacred thing and that’s what they are here to do. They are not trying to one-up each other on what they post on their phones, but they are concentrating about the subject being taught at that very moment.”