The cellphone has become a constant student companion in recent times. According to a 2023 Common Sense Media survey, 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds reported using their phones in some capacity during school hours and handling their phones around 13 times during the average school day.
National data has shown the negative effects of cellphone use in schools on learning, mental health, cyberbullying and teacher morale. However, recent syntheses of research have cited the potential for phones to enhance learning outcomes and serve as a line of communication in emergency situations, among other observations.
At least 27 states and Puerto Rico have introduced legislation related to cellphone use in schools and nine states have enacted such measures since 2023. State education agencies and state boards of education in at least 11 states have acted regarding cellphone use in schools during the same period. Governors in Arkansas, Montana, Oklahoma and Virginia also have issued orders and actions to address related challenges.
School districts and governing bodies are commonly involved with setting student conduct policies associated with personal devices and cellphones, and state legislation usually features measures providing for the development of these local policies. During the 2023-24 legislative sessions, states considered bills affecting the adoption of local policies on cellphone use in schools through incentives, requirements or guidance.
Incentives
In 2024, at least four states introduced legislation that encourages the adoption of local policies prohibiting or limiting cellphone use through funding for cellphone pouches or bags that students use to store their devices. The pouches have mechanisms or locks that restrict access to phones during designated times and can be opened by an administrator or teacher as needed. The legislation often stipulates that to receive funding for the pouches, districts must adopt specified policies aligned with their use. Of the states introducing measures this session, two have enacted legislation: Delaware appropriates funds to create a voluntary school cellphone pouch pilot program for local education agencies that serve students in grades six through 12, and Pennsylvania provides lockable bag grants for districts that adopt a policy prohibiting the use of cellphones during the school day. Apart from legislation, the Arkansas governor announced a pilot grant program for student phone pouches in a letter to superintendents.
Requirements
At least 18 states have introduced legislation requiring districts to adopt local policies on student cellphone use, and California, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and South Carolina have enacted legislation since 2023. The bills vary in the degree of discretion provided to local districts. Some states require the adoption of a cellphone use policy but do not specify what must be included within it; others require the adoption of policies that include certain language limiting or prohibiting devices. Some states with these provisions also require local policies to include exemptions for instructional, special education, safety and emergency or health-related purposes.
Minnesota requires school districts and charter schools to adopt policies on student cellphone possession and use, while Ohio requires school districts to establish policies limiting phone use, reducing associated distractions and permitting exceptions for student learning and monitoring of health concerns. Additionally, Minnesota and Ohio provide for the creation of guidance to support schools in setting policies. Florida and Indiana require local adoption of policies prohibiting student device use during instructional time, unless authorized by a teacher, and both states allow for certain exemptions. South Carolina requires school districts to implement a policy adopted by the state board prohibiting student access to personal devices during the school day as a condition for receiving state funds.
In addition to these states creating new local policy requirements, California recently amended measures established in 2019 to authorize the adoption of local policies that limit or prohibit student smartphone use in school related contexts and provide for deference to teacher or administrator discretion and exemptions for students who possess or use a phone for health, special education and emergency-related purposes. The state now requires districts to adopt such policies and update them every five years.
Distinct from initiatives in these six states regarding local policy adoption, Louisiana has established a statewide prohibition on students possessing electronic communication devices during the instructional day with exceptions for students who require device use for health or special education purposes.
Guidance and Resources
Legislation introduced in at least five states would provide districts with resources and guidance, both in connection with and distinct from local policy requirements. Guidance and resources on cellphone use in schools provide for general best practices while also addressing the differing needs of students based on age and development, health and special education status. Additionally, guidance considers school safety implications and the impact of policy adoption on key stakeholders, such as departments and boards, schools and districts, educator preparation programs, administrators, educators, families and students.
Two Minnesota principals associations and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce issued toolkits pursuant to the legislation referenced above. In South Carolina, the Board of Education adopted a policy that prohibits the use of personal electronic devices during the school day and the Education Department launched a statewide phone-free environment initiative. School districts in the state must implement the board’s policy as required by enacted legislation.
Apart from legislation, the Virginia Department of Education issued guidance following an executive order on cellphone-free education, and departments and boards of education in states such as Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Washington have also organized resources related to the use of personal devices in schools.
Looking Ahead
As the new school year unfolds, state legislatures continue to explore how to address cellphone use in schools to leverage opportunities related to instruction and safety while addressing challenges to attention and mental health. NCSL continues to track legislative developments associated with technology in education in the Pre-K-12 Education Legislation Database.
Lauren Gendill is a policy analyst in NCSL’s Education Program.