Local schools not planning to jam cell phone signals

School officials in northeast Iowa are considering buying equipment to jam cell phone signals, if they can do so legally, but local districts aren't following their lead.

“We have not heard about that and I don't think it's something we would do,” said Katie Mulholland, Linn-Mar's superintendent.

Ann Feldmann, assistant superintendent for the Iowa City schools, said the district approaches cell phone use as a teachable moment.

“I don't know about any other school district, but we tend to believe that we teach kids responsibility by giving them responsibility,” Feldmann said.

Cedar Rapids, College Community and Marion schools also said “no” to jamming cell phones.

“You pick your battles,” said Steve Doser, College Community's spokesman. “It's a question of how much of your resources you want to use for the situation.”

The St. Ansgar school board this month passed a motion to spend up to $5,000 to block the phone signals.

Officials say students aren't following rules that prohibit the use of cell phones during school hours. They noted that use of the jamming equipment would be suspended during emergencies.

Interim superintendent Jim Woodward says the Iowa Association of School Boards is helping research whether it's legal to block the cell phone signals.

A Federal Communications Commission notice issued in 2005 says the sale and use of transmitters that jam cellular or personal communications services is unlawful.