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Fidget spinners banned from Seminole County school

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A popular toy has become a major distraction in some Central Florida schools.

Administrators at Sterling Park Elementary School sent a message home to parents saying fidget spinners were a distraction, and if students bring them to school, the toys will be confiscated.

“You know, you go to school to learn and to do classwork. You don’t go there to play,” said Rita Garcia, whose granddaughter is a student at the school.

The toys don’t make noise, but school officials said too many children are bringing them to class.

One student said the toy helps her focus.

“They’re not really distracting to me,” said  fifth-grader Grace Marrero. “For some reason, they just help my mind go. I’m not even looking at it and I like, flow with answers.”

Marrero said the toy helps, because she has attention deficit disorder.

“I was playing with it at my desk, and the teacher saw it, and she took it away,” she said.

Her grandmother agreed the fidget spinners help, but she said Grace will now have to use hers at home.

“The teacher’s the boss. If she (doesn’t) want you to have them, you can’t have them,” Garcia said.

A Seminole County Public School’s spokesperson said it’ll be up to each principal to decide whether to ban the toys.