Nationwide Call to Ban Phones in K-12 Schools: Key Considerations for Private Schools to Adopt a Phone-Free Policy

States and public school districts across the country are pushing for cellphone bans in schools, saying the devices cause serious distractions in the classroom and other negative effects on students. As more schools consider phone-free policies and legislators call for action at the state level, many private schools are also grappling with pressure from all sides. We’ll look at the pros and cons of eliminating smartphones and other similar devices from the classroom and outline key factors to consider if your school is developing such a policy.

Phone-Free Schools: A Growing Trend

The Los Angeles Public Schools Board made headlines in June by approving a resolution aimed at creating “truly phone-free school days” — highlighting the harmful effects of excessive cellphone use on students’ mental health and academic performance. The district is expected to create a comprehensive implementation policy that will go into effect in January 2025. While LA Unified is one of the largest districts in the country to enact such a ban, it is not the only one.

In May, the Village School of Naples, a private school in Florida, reported positive student outcomes two years after implementing a policy banning cellphones during the school day (as well as a policy requiring every student to participate in a sports or performing arts program). According to a school official, “student mental well-being improved by 94 percent, as measured by the number of mental health interventions requested, and academic achievement increased significantly, as measured by standardized test scores.”

In addition to school policy, state lawmakers and governors (such as in California and New York) are calling for legislation that would ban or restrict smartphone use in public and charter schools. In addition, some states, such as Florida and Indiana, already have laws regulating the use of wireless communication devices in public schools. Florida law also requires public schools to “prohibit and prevent students from accessing social media platforms through school district-provided Internet access,” except for educational purposes as directed by a teacher. (And Florida’s new law extends beyond the school context. The law, set to take effect Jan. 1, prohibits children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.)

Pros and cons of banning or restricting the use of phones at school

Advocates for phone-free schools argue that bans reduce distraction in the classroom, curb cyberbullying, increase student engagement and promote healthy social development. Many campaigns also point to the youth mental health crisis resulting from social media use and place particular emphasis on banning smartphones that access these platforms. This last point has come into focus again after the US surgeon general called for warning labels on social media platforms due to their harmful effects on teenagers.

On the other hand, opponents of school phone bans argue that the bans are difficult to enforce, take away opportunities to incorporate new technology into the teaching process and prevent students from learning. Some of the biggest resistance comes from parents who fear they won’t be able to contact their children in emergencies or in nightmare situations like a school shooting.

Your school will need to carefully consider the pros and cons of introducing any phone policy and should take into account the views of students, their families and the wider school community early on in the process.

Key Issues Regarding Your School’s Policy

If you decide that a “no phones” policy is right for your school, here are some key factors to consider when designing and implementing the policy:

Device type. You need to decide what types of devices you want to ban or restrict during the school day, and then make that clear in your policy. For example, will your policy apply to all cell phones or just smartphones with internet access? What about other devices, such as tablets or smartwatches?
Prohibitions versus restrictions. You also need to decide whether you want to ban the devices altogether or allow students to carry them, with restrictions on when and how they can use them. Many schools already limit student cell phone use to unstructured times of the day, such as lunch, recess, and free periods, but such policies can be more difficult to enforce than a total ban.
Secured phone bags. Some schools have chosen to require students to deposit their devices in secure, locked bags upon arrival at school and retrieve them before returning home. Other schools offer this option at the classroom level, at the discretion of each teacher, requiring students to secure their devices before class and retrieve them after class. This method can achieve the goal of phone-free days or classes while also allowing students to carry their devices with them on their commutes to and from school—which can provide parents with peace of mind and help with logistics. If you decide to go this route, your policy should outline procedures for storing and retrieving devices.

Age groups. Do you want your policy to apply to all students or just certain age groups, such as elementary or secondary students? Will the policy apply to all students equally or will it vary by division?
Enforcement. To be effective, your policy should include how it will be enforced. For example, will you assign staff to conduct periodic checks to identify prohibited devices, or will teachers simply confiscate devices if they see them being used in violation of the policy?
Consequences of violations. Your policy should outline the range of consequences students will face for violating the policy. These consequences may vary by age and may include a level system for first-time and repeat offenses.

Exceptions. There may be exceptions or reasonable accommodations that are needed for students with certain medical conditions. For example, students with diabetes often rely on their phone to monitor their insulin levels.