School leader describes impact of ‘engagement zones’ in wake of student cellphone ban

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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Students and families around Central Florida are preparing to return to school on Monday.

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For some students in Orange County, heading back to school means being inside “engagement zones.”

The zones were created in light of the cell phone ban in Orange County.

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Channel 9 spoke with the principal, who came up with them to see if they’re actually keeping kids off of screens and actually interacting with each other.

“They play sports, and they can dance, and they can, you know, socialize and everything like that,” said Timber Creek High School Principal Mark Wasko.

Wasko said idle time during lunch was often used to scroll on social media, but last year, without cell phones from bell to bell, he wanted to help keep kids engaged and communicating.

See more in the video above.

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