The 2026-2027 school year will look different for students in ISD 2142: cell phones will be prohibited from the beginning of the school day to the last bell.
Cell phones, smartwatches and earbuds must all be stored throughout passing periods, recess and lunch hour.
New technology use restrictions could help eliminate distractions, support student mental health and foster a focused learning environment, per an ISD 2142 informational brochure about the policy.
The new cell phone guidelines represent a strengthening of last year’s regulations. The 2025-2026 policy required students to store devices throughout the school day, with the exception of lunch hour for grades 7-12.
Students will receive a warning from a teacher upon their first violation. The second time a student breaks the rule, a teacher will collect the device until the end of the day.
Subsequent violations or a refusal to comply will be handled by administration. Consequences could involve confiscation of the device or required pick-up by parents.
Superintendent Brian Masterson said teachers have so far been supportive of the cell phone ban.
BoardmemberRonMarinaro ofTower-Soudanmadeamotion to adopt the policy, seconded by board member Mallory Manick of North Woods.
The motion passed with majority ‘yes’ votes. Board members Chris Koivisto of Northeast Range and Kristin Zorn of South Ridge opposed the ban.
Zorn said the policy reminded her of last year’s attempt at cell phone restrictions.
“It started out great. Everybody was enforcing it, and it worked. Then it just slowly went away,” Zorn said. “I feel like the lunch hour, to an extent, is the kids’ time.”
Zorn also expressed concern about theft, especially for cell phones left in lockers with pickable locks.
Koivisto pointed out that high school students may require their phones for two-factor verification when taking “Cell phones are part of life today,” Koivisto said. “I understand we need to get students in the habit of time and place, and they put the phone away while they’re in the class, but I’m just afraid there’s too much need for access to phones in today’s society to take that completely away when you walk in the door.”
The board intends to trial run the policy for a year and then determine the path forward for device use within district schools.
“We can always do something different,” Marinaro said.
ISD 2142 will discontinue the cooperative hockey agreement between North Woods and Hibbing Public Schools.
The cost for the agreement would have run up to about $9,800 for two players, according to district finance director Kim Johnson.
“It’s too close to a pay-to-play, and the Minnesota State High School League certainly is against any payto- play sort of look,” Koivisto said. Koivisto said he has never seen a sports partnership incur costs this high for ISD 2142 athletes. The district’s students have also joined cooperative teams for downhill skiing, golf, swimming, football and cross country.
“The whole idea of co-ops is to create opportunities for all students who otherwise wouldn’t have one,” Koivisto said.
Board members voted unanimously to curtail the girls hockey cooperative agreement with Hibbing and deny a request for a boys hockey partnership with the same school.
In other business, the board:
• Adopted a package of revised policies for the upcoming school year, with topics ranging from public data requests to graduation requirements.
• Approved an MOU with Local 1406 Education Minnesota
• Hired four new personnel at Northeast Range for special education, physical education, elementary and band.
