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I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO. MATTER OF FACT. GROWING UP IS NOT EASY. THEY SHOWED UP TO SCHOOL AND NOBODY HAD ANY IDEA THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG. YOUNG PEOPLE IN AMERICA CONTINUE TO GRAPPLE WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, AND TEACHERS ARE FINDING THEMSELVES ON THE FRONT LINES. I REALLY FELT LIKE WE WERE TREATING CANCER WITH BAND-AIDS. HOW THIS RURAL SCHOOL TOOK ACTION. LAUNCHING A PROGRAM OF ITS OWN TO SUPPORT STUDENTS. PLUS, I TALKED TO TWO TEENAGERS WHO’VE DONE SOMETHING KIND OF SHOCKING GIVING UP THEIR SMARTPHONES. ONE TIME SOMEBODY SAW ME PULL OUT MY FLIP PHONE, AND THEN THEY JUST WENT, OH MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DO ALL DAY? HOW? NOT HAVING SOCIAL MEDIA AT THEIR FINGERTIPS HAS CHANGED THEIR LIVES. AND OWEN MOORE IS AT A CROSSROADS IN HIS LIFE. MOST OF MY FRIENDS ARE GOING TO A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE, BUT OWEN IS NOT. IT KIND OF MAKES ME A LITTLE SAD THAT I WON’T BE ABLE TO BE WITH THEM. WHY HE AND OTHER HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE MAKING THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO SKIP COLLEGE. THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. AMERICA’S KIDS ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME. WHILE THE CDC’S LATEST REPORT ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SHOWS SOME IMPROVEMENT FROM 2021 TO 2023. OFFICIALS SAY WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. THE 2023 NUMBERS WERE STILL 10% HIGHER THAN TEN YEARS AGO, WITH ABOUT 40% OF TEENS REPORTING PERSISTENT FEELINGS OF SADNESS AND HOPELESSNESS, VERSUS 30% IN 2013. FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES, FINDING SOLUTIONS IS AN UPHILL BATTLE SINCE THEY OFTEN LACK ACCESS TO TREATMENT. LAST YEAR, OUR CORRESPONDENT DINA DEMETRIUS VISITED DESERT MIRAGE HIGH SCHOOL. IT’S IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN CALIFORNIA. THERE, TEACHERS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS ARE LEARNING HOW TO HELP STUDENTS NAVIGATE THESE MOMENTS OF PERSONAL CRISIS AND GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED. 16 YEAR OLD HILDA CASTRO’S LIFE WAS A TAPESTRY OF THE MUSIC SCHOOL AND FAMILY SHE LOVES UNTIL SUDDEN, DEBILITATING PANIC ATTACKS UNRAVELED HER WORLD. IT WAS RIGHT WHEN I WAKE UP AND AFTER THAT, 2 OR 3 TIMES A DAY, 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR. AND IT WAS CONSISTENT AND IT TOOK OVER MY LIFE. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. HILDA SPENT MOST OF LAST SUMMER IN DAILY FEAR IN THIS RURAL, MAINLY LATINO COMMUNITY TALKING ABOUT ONE’S MENTAL HEALTH, LET ALONE GETTING HELP, FOR IT IS A PERVASIVE STIGMA. IT WAS LIKE BLOCKING ME FROM ACTUALLY GETTING HELP. BECAUSE, LIKE, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING CRAZY WHEN I WOULD GET THESE PANIC ATTACKS. BUT ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES, HILDA SAW A FLIER ABOUT HER SCHOOL’S NEW WELLNESS CENTER, A CLASSROOM IN EACH SCHOOL FOR KIDS EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH EPISODE. JANELLE MCDANIEL, A SPECIAL ED TEACHER, NOW HELPS STUDENTS HERE FIND MINDFULNESS AND CALM. WE’RE THE FIRST STOP. WE’RE LIKE THE CHICKEN SOUP AND THE VICKS VAPOR RUB. WE’RE NOT THE AMBULANCE. WE’RE NOT THE DOCTORS. BUT WE CAN TAKE THEM IN. WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET THEM TO A LEVEL WHERE THEY FEEL CALM AND SAFE, AND THEN WHEN NEEDED, WE CAN THEN GET THEM TO HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE. THE DISTRICT HAS PARTNERED WITH THE LATINO COMMISSION, A LOCAL COUNSELING CENTER THAT PROVIDES A SCHOOL THERAPIST TO WHOM HILDA WAS REFERRED. I STARTED TO NOTICE, LIKE A CHANGE IN THE PANIC ATTACKS THAT WERE COMING IN LESS. I WAS ABLE TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WITH MY CLASSWORK. AND SO THAT’S WHEN I’M LIKE, THIS IS WORKING AND IT’S GOOD FOR ME. AND IT GAVE YOU HOPE. YEAH. YEAH, MUCHACHO. HILDA’S MOM, WHO GETS MILDER PANIC ATTACKS, TRIED TO HELP HER DAUGHTER THROUGH THE STRUGGLE. SHE WAS SURPRISED AND RELIEVED. HILDA GOT COUNSELING. I KNOW THAT MY CHILD KNOWS HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT FROM THE WRONG. SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH HER. LIKE, WHAT IF SHE DOESN’T GET THE HELP THAT SHE NEEDS? I NEVER THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD GO ASK FOR HELP. AND I WAS HAPPY WHEN SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE DID. IT OPENED UP A NEW DOOR FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, DIDN’T IT? YES. AND SHE TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF THE BURDEN AWAY FROM ME. THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AMONG THE NATION’S STUDENTS HAS GROWN. BUT THE CRISIS IN RURAL SCHOOLS IS ESPECIALLY PRONOUNCED. OVERSTRETCHED TEACHERS WHO DON’T STAY AND OPIOID EPIDEMIC. AND FAMILIES OFTEN LIVING IN POVERTY. I THINK FINANCIALLY THERE’S A BIG BURDEN ON OUR STUDENTS. A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE WORKING TO HELP PAY BILLS AND TO HELP PROVIDE FOOD. A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ALSO THE CHILD CARE PROVIDER FOR THEIR YOUNGER SIBLINGS WHEN THEY GET HOME. I REALLY FELT LIKE WE WERE TREATING CANCER WITH BAND-AIDS, LIKE WE WERE NOT PREPARED. AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DEAL WITH THE LEVEL OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS THAT OUR STUDENTS WERE HAVING, DISTRICT COUNSELOR KARINA VEGA GREW UP HERE. SHE SAYS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD STARTED SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY HELP STUDENTS, EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC EXPOSED THEIR CHALLENGES AT HOME. AND THEY DID NOTICE THAT NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS THERAPY. SOME PEOPLE NEED COUNSELING, SOME PEOPLE NEED WELLNESS SUPPORT. AND SO KIND OF NAVIGATING AND SIFTING THROUGH SOME OF THAT IS REALLY WHAT THE WELLNESS CENTERS HAVE PROVIDED MONEY FOR. THE DISTRICT’S WELLNESS CENTERS COME FROM FEDERAL AND STATE PANDEMIC FUNDS, AND NOW THAT’S CAUSING SOME ANXIETY. WHAT HAPPENS IF IT GOES AWAY? IT’S JUST LIKE, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT? HOW DO YOU MEASURE HOW MANY LESS TIMES A PERSON THOUGHT ABOUT SUICIDE THIS WEEK? AND I KNOW THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO FIND FUNDING, BUT I MEAN, THAT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ON THE BACK OF EVERYONE’S MIND. MEANWHILE, THIS ONE SHY YOUNG WOMAN NOW CHECKS IN REGULARLY WITH MCDANIEL SAYING THIS CENTER PAVED THE WAY FOR GREATER HEALING AMONG HER FRIENDS AS WELL. BEFORE, WE WOULDN’T EVEN MENTION IT, BUT WE’RE WE’RE MORE TOGETHER BECAUSE OF IT, AND WE’RE ABLE TO EXPRESS HOW WE’RE FEELING AND WHAT WE NEED. AND IT’S REALLY GREAT TO KNOW THAT I HAVE GROWN A LOT IN COACHELLA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. I’M DINA DEMETRIUS, FOR MATTER OF FACT. SCHOOL OFFICIALS TODAY SAY THE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENTS, AND THAT THEY’RE FINDING WAYS TO KEEP IT FUNDED AND AVAILABLE. NEXT, ON MATTER OF FACT, BEFORE READING GETTING OUTSIDE, SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH PEOPLE, SOCIALIZING OFF THE SCREEN. AND I REMEMBER ALL THOSE THINGS. WAIT A MINUTE. THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. AND WE’VE REALLY LOST TOUCH WITH THAT AS A GENERATION. THE BIG CHANGE THESE TEENS MADE TO STOP STARING AT THEIR PHONES ALL DAY. PLUS, SHOULD STUDENTS BE ALLOWED TO HAVE PHONES IN CLASS? WE BREAK DOWN THE RULES ON IN-SCHOOL CELL PHONE USE. AND DO THEY WANT TO GO TO A TRADITIONAL FOUR YEAR COLLEGE, WHICH POSSIBLY CAN LEAD TO A LOT OF COLLEGE DEBT? HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WEIGH WHETHER COLLEGE IS REALLY WORTH IT. YOU’RE WATCHING, MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWS MAGAZINE. MOST AMERICAN TEENS 95% USE AT LEAST ONE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. A THIRD SAY THEY USE IT ALMOST CONSTANTLY. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. IT WAS THE CASE FOR LOGAN LANE AND JAMESON BUTLER, TWO TEENAGERS GROWING UP IN NEW YORK CITY GLUED TO THEIR SMARTPHONES UNTIL ONE DAY THEY DECIDED TO GIVE THEM UP. THEY FOUNDED THE LUDITE CLUB, A SMARTPHONE FREE GATHERING OF THEIR PEERS. LOGAN AND JAMESON JOINED ME RECENTLY IN STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT LIFE AS A TEENAGER, WITH A FLIP PHONE AND THE DOCUMENTARY THAT’S IN THE WORKS TO TELL THEIR STORY. TELL ME HOW YOU WERE FIRST INSPIRED TO SAY, WE’RE JUST NOT GOING TO HAVE SMARTPHONES IN OUR LIVES. IT WAS COVID. WE WERE BOTH REALLY ADDICTED TO OUR TECH, PARTICULARLY OUR PHONES, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WE KIND OF JUST WASTED AWAY THE COVID DAYS, DEPRESSED IN OUR ROOMS, 8 OR 9 HOURS OF SCREEN TIME EVERY DAY. DID YOU FEEL THAT HAVING THAT SMARTPHONE WAS MAKING COVID WORSE FOR YOU? IN SOME WAYS? YEAH, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE SELF-DEPRECATING TO BE LOOKING AT ALL THESE PEOPLE ONLINE, GOING ON RUNS, DOING ALL THESE THINGS. IT JUST MADE ME FEEL WORSE ABOUT MYSELF. AND YEAH, IT DEFINITELY MADE COVID A LOT HARDER. WHAT WAS THE REACTION WHEN YOU STOPPED USING YOUR SMARTPHONE? SO IMMEDIATELY FROM OUR FRIENDS, A LOT OF THEM REFER TO US AS KIND OF FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH BECAUSE WE WEREN’T ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I REMEMBER JAMESON SAYING SOME PEOPLE WOULDN’T TEXT HER ANYMORE BECAUSE THE TEXTS WERE GREEN. YEAH, OTHER PEOPLE WERE REALLY SUPPORTIVE. THEY REALLY LIKED WHAT WE WERE DOING. AND FINALLY, SOME OF OUR PEERS WERE A LITTLE JUDGMENTAL. THEY DIDN’T LIKE THAT. IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE KIND OF TELLING THEM HOW TO USE THEIR TECHNOLOGY, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE BOTH FOUND IS ALMOST LIKE PULLING OUT OUR FLIP PHONES. I THINK SOME PEOPLE FELT ALMOST LIKE UNDER ATTACK, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE I KNOW AT SCHOOL ARE SPENDING EIGHT, NINE HOURS A DAY ON THEIR IPHONES. SO FOR ME TO, YOU KNOW, VERY VISIBLY TAKE A STANCE AGAINST THAT, A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL PERSONALLY ATTACKED BY THAT WHICH IS NOT WE HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF THAT AT ALL. BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH SPENDING, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN HALF OF YOUR TIME AWAKE ON YOUR PHONE. ULTIMATELY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? IS THERE A BIGGER UPSIDE THAN A DOWNSIDE? YEAH, 100%. AND ALSO LIKE THE INTERNET AND ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA APPS ARE SO SELF-REFERENTIAL THAT LIKE GETTING AWAY FROM IT. I DIDN’T NEED TO BE A PART OF IT. I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND ANY OF IT, AND I DIDN’T NEED TO BECAUSE I DIDN’T NEED TO ENGAGE IN THAT CONVERSATION ANYMORE. I THINK ULTIMATELY IT COMES DOWN TO NOT WHAT WE’RE AGAINST, BUT REALLY WHAT WE’RE FOR. WE’RE FOR OFFLINE HOBBIES. WE’RE FOR READING, GETTING OUTSIDE, SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH PEOPLE, SOCIALIZING OFF THE SCREEN. AND WE’VE REALLY LOST TOUCH WITH THAT AS A GENERATION. AND TO RECLAIM THOSE THINGS IS REALLY POWERFUL. SO YOU STARTED THIS LUDDITE CLUB. WHAT DOES THE CLUB DO? IT’S OPEN TO EVERYONE, AND IT’S BASICALLY JUST A PHONE FREE ENVIRONMENT THAT’S DEDICATED TO HELPING PEOPLE FORGE BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR TECHNOLOGIES. CAN PEOPLE BE VARIOUS STAGES OF LUDDITE? OH YEAH. THERE ARE LOTS OF LUDDITES WHO STILL HAVE IPHONES, AND EVERYBODY TAKES KIND OF A DIFFERENT MEASURE. SOME PEOPLE TURN THEIR PHONES. IT’S INTERESTING, INTO BLACK AND WHITE MODE, BECAUSE THEY FIND WITHOUT ALL THE COLORS, THEY’RE A LOT LESS COMPELLED TO PICK UP THEIR IPHONE. SOME PEOPLE SET TIME LIMITS ON THEIR SCREEN TIME. SOME PEOPLE DON’T TAKE IT WITH THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE SOMETIMES. SO EVERYBODY’S. KIND OF AT A DIFFERENT STAGE FIGURING OUT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM. SO NOW THERE’S A DOCUMENTARY IN THE WORKS. WHAT’S THE STORY YOU WANT TO TELL THROUGH THE DOCUMENTARY? THROUGH THE DOCUMENTARY, WE WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE HOPE. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM A SOLUTION. WE WANT TO TELL A GREATER STORY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM OF TECH ADDICTION AND TEEN MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH A MORE POSITIVE LENS THAN A LOT OF THE DOCUMENTARIES IN THIS FIELD HAVE PROVIDED. WE LOOK AT OUR CLUB AND WE SEE AN ANSWER. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT DOCUMENTARY ONE DAY. THANK YOU. JAMESON BUTLER AND LOGAN LANE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COMING UP, COLLEGE DECISION DAY IS NEARLY HERE. WE HEAR FROM HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE WEIGHING AS THEY DECIDE THIS NEXT STEP. PLUS, WHY CELL PHONE BANS IN SCHOOLS ARE PUTTING PARENTS AND LAWMAKERS AT ODDS. THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS OF 2025 IS EXPECTED TO BE THE LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE WE’LL SEE OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS. AN ESTIMATED 3.9 MILLION STUDENTS WILL GET THEIR DIPLOMAS IN THE COMING MONTHS. PEW RESEARCH PREDICTS 28% OF GRADUATES WILL BE HISPANIC, AND 5% WILL IDENTIFY AS TWO OR MORE RACES. AFTER THIS YEAR, GRADUATING CLASSES WILL GET SMALLER IN ABOUT 38 STATES. WHY? WELL, EXPERTS POINT TO DECLINING BIRTH RATES AND AN INCREASE IN HOME SCHOOLING BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. MANY STUDENTS IN THE UPCOMING GRADUATING CLASS AND THOSE THAT FOLLOW ARE RETHINKING COLLEGE AS THE NEXT STEP AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. SINCE 2010, COLLEGE ENROLLMENT HAS DECLINED NEARLY 10%. OUR CORRESPONDENT LAURA CHAVEZ MET UP WITH STUDENTS IN CENTRAL INDIANA WHO ARE DECIDING TO TAKE A DIFFERENT PATH. CAN YOU GET THE PLACE? LASAGNA’S ABOUT THERE. IT’S DINNERTIME AT THE MORE HOME IN CENTRAL INDIANA, AND OWEN MOORE, THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE CHILDREN AND A SENIOR AT KOKOMO HIGH SCHOOL, IS THE CENTER OF THE FAMILY’S ATTENTION. YOU’RE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER, RIGHT? YEAH. DESPITE WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A FAMILY TRADITION, OWEN ISN’T FOLLOWING IN THE COLLEGIATE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS SIBLINGS AND PARENTS. IT WAS DEFINITELY A LITTLE, LIKE, NERVE WRACKING, LIKE GOING IN AND TELLING THEM, LIKE, HEY, I’M NOT GOING TO COLLEGE. BUT MY PARENTS HAVE BEEN VERY, LIKE, RESPECTFUL AND SUPPORTIVE OF MY DECISION. MY PLANS ARE TO START AT HOBART AROUND SEPTEMBER OR AUGUST, CUT THE K OUT, WELD IT TO THE CENTER OF THE GATE. HOBART IS A WELDING INSTITUTE IN OHIO. HE’LL BE IN A NINE MONTH PROGRAM. AFTER THAT, IT’S INTO THE WORKFORCE, HOPING TO MAKE ABOUT $40,000 A YEAR. OWEN IS PART OF A GROWING TREND, WITH GEN Z OPTING OUT OF COLLEGE IN 2021, 43% OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ENROLLED IN A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. THAT’S DOWN 3% OVER FIVE YEARS. THE MAIN REASON CITED COST THE 2004 GRADUATING CLASS WAS LOOKING AT AN ANNUAL PUBLIC SCHOOL COST OF ABOUT $4,600. NOW, THAT SAME TYPE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL COSTS OVER $9,300, PUSHING MANY STUDENTS TO HEAD DIRECTLY INTO THE WORKFORCE OR GET A CAREER CERTIFICATION. LIKE OWEN’S CLASSMATE, KEYARA KILLEBREW. I ALWAYS HAVE LOVED ANIMALS. A SCULPTOR, KEYARA RECENTLY SHIFTED HER FOCUS TO CARING FOR ANIMALS WITH A PLAN TO MAKE THAT HER LIFE’S WORK. I’M GOING TO THE VET TECH INSTITUTION TO GET MY ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE, AND THEN AFTER THAT, TO HOPEFULLY JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO THE VETERINARY FIELD AND GET INTO THE WORKFORCE. BOTH KEYARA AND OWEN ATTEND A CAREER ORIENTED PROGRAM AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL, THE KOKOMO AREA CAREER CENTER. IN THE MORNING, THEY GO TO TRADITIONAL CLASSES, BUT IN THE AFTERNOON, THEIR STUDIES FOCUS ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION. PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS VOCATIONAL SCHOOL. SUCH A GOOD KITTY. JONATHAN SCHUCK IS THE DIRECTOR AT CCAC. I THINK THESE KIDS ARE QUESTIONING A LOT OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE RIGHT PATH FOR THEM. YOU KNOW, DO THEY WANT TO GO TO A TRADITIONAL FOUR YEAR COLLEGE, WHICH POSSIBLY CAN LEAD TO A LOT OF COLLEGE DEBT? AND I THINK THE KIDS ARE LOOKING AT THIS AND GOING, OKAY, WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ME AND FOR MY PASSIONS AND WHAT I WANT TO DO. WHERE’S IT GOING TO LEAD FOR ME IN THE DECADE SCHUCK HAS RUN THE PROGRAM, ENROLLMENT AVERAGES ABOUT 1300 STUDENTS A YEAR. BUT RECENTLY, HE SAYS, MORE KIDS ARE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING FOLLOWING THIS PATH AFTER GRADUATION. I THINK THE KIDS THAT COME HERE ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT BEING HERE. THEY’VE ACTUALLY CHOSEN TO WANT TO BE HERE, AND I THINK A LOT OF THEM, IT REALLY HELPS THEM IN THEIR EDUCATION. IN REGARDS TO BEING SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS THEY FIND HERE. GOOD. VERY GOOD. FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEY GO TO COLLEGE FOR THAT FOUR YEARS AND THEN THEY JUST THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND THEN THEY STRUGGLE FOR LIKE TWO, THREE YEARS, LIKE TRYING TO FIND A JOB. I JUST WANT TO GET IN AND OUT. WHO’S MY LEFT GUARD? ME. I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT NOT HAVING A COLLEGE DEGREE, BUT THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF IT, THAT’S DEFINITELY A HUGE BONUS JUST BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE’S NOT AS MUCH DEBT. AND I MEAN, I’LL BE MAKING A PRETTY DECENT AMOUNT OF MONEY. OWEN HOPES STARTING HIS CAREER NOW WILL GET HIM CLOSER TO SOME OF HIS OTHER GOALS, LIKE AN EARLY RETIREMENT. AS FOR KEYARA, SHE’S CONSIDERING BECOMING A ZOOLOGIST, WHICH WOULD MEAN EVENTUALLY GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. BUT FOR NOW, THIS IS HOW THEIR ADULT LIVES BEGIN IN KOKOMO, INDIANA. I’M LAURA CHAVEZ FOR MATTER OF FACT. AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT. OUT OF THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE AND INTO THE STATEHOUSE. WHY SCHOOL CELL PHONE POLICIES ARE INCREASINGLY BEING SHAPED BY LAWMAKERS. PLUS, THE BUS FLEET WITH A MISSION BEYOND GETTING KIDS SAFELY TO AND FROM SCHOOL. TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH MATTER OF FACT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT MATTEROFFACTTV. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND STATES ARE GRAPPLING WITH HOW TO HANDLE SMARTPHONES IN SCHOOL. AT THIS POINT, THE RULES ARE REALLY A PATCHWORK, ACCORDING TO KFF. AT LEAST NINE STATES HAVE STATEWIDE BANS OR RESTRICTIONS ON CELL PHONE USE IN SCHOOLS. FLORIDA, LOUISIANA. VIRGINIA. OHIO, INDIANA, SOUTH CAROLINA, MINNESOTA, CALIFORNIA AND ARKANSAS. ABOUT 16 STATES HAVE INTRODUCED SIMILAR LEGISLATION TO BAN PHONES. AND SEVEN STATES HAVE ISSUED RECOMMENDED POLICIES OR PILOT PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BAN OR RESTRICT CELL PHONE USE. THESE MOVES ARE ALL INTENDED TO ELIMINATE POTENTIAL DISTRACTIONS. A KANSAS HIGH SCHOOL RAN A PILOT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. STUDENTS IN ONE NINTH GRADE CLASS WERE FORBIDDEN ACCESS TO SMARTPHONES, AND THEY HAD THE HIGHEST GRADE POINT AVERAGES ACROSS THE SCHOOL. STILL, A MAJORITY OF PARENTS DISAGREE WITH TOTAL BANS. A RECENT POLL FROM THE NATIONAL PARENTS UNION FOUND THAT MOST PARENTS WANT THEIR CHILD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AT LEAST SOME ACCESS TO HELP COORDINATE PICKUP AND IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. STILL AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, WHY THIS BUS FLEET IS THE FIRST OF ITSAND FINALLY, ELECTRIC SCHO BUSSES ARE DRIVING AROUND OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, THE CITY’S UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THE FIRST MAJOR DISTRICT IN THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO A FULLY ELECTRIC BUS FLEET. THE DISTRICT, WHICH SPANS ABOUT 78MI, PARTNERED WITH THE STARTUP ZUM TO GET 74 ELECTRIC BUSSES AND BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGERS. WHAT’S A BIDIRECTIONAL CHARGER? WELL, THEY RETURN ANY LEFTOVER ENERGY IN THE BUSSES BATTERIES TO THE ENERGY GRID. NOW, ACCORDING TO ZUM, OAKLAND’S EV FLEET WILL HELP REMOVE 25,000 METRIC TONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT’S EQUAL TO NEARLY 4600 PASSENGER VEHICLES BY 2035. CALIFORNIA WILL REQUIRE ALL NEW SCHOOL BUSSES TO BE ZERO EMISSIONS, AND ZUM HAS SET AN AMBITIOUS GOAL OF ELECTRIFYING 10,000 SCHOOL BUSSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER THE COMING YEARS. THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF MATTER OF FACT, I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. I’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT WEEK. TO WATCH MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ANYTIME, HEAD TO MATTEROFFACTTV.