Hollister School District will host two upcoming meetings for parents to create awareness about middle school student cell phone use.

Both meetings will take place Monday, July 22. The first parent meeting is at 5 p.m. at the Rancho San Justo Middle School lunch quad, located at 1201 Rancho Drive in Hollister. The second meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Hollister Dual Language Academy multipurpose room, located at 921 Santa Ana Road.

“We have noticed that children as young as 11 (6th graders) are distracted during class and showing signs of being addicted to their phones (such as constantly checking their phones for updates on Snapchat, Instagram, or text messages),” said Superintendent Diego Ochoa via email. “Our 2019-2020 policy aims to prohibit student cell phone use during school hours on campus. The simple explanation will be turn the phone off and put it in your backpack.”

Ochoa said there is a growing concern among district staff that cell phone use in class, during passing periods, at lunch, and after school are contributing to reduced focus during class, cyberbullying, and increased reports of depression.