News from the South - Alabama News Feed
School cellphone bans spread across states, though enforcement could be tricky
School cellphone bans spread across states, though enforcement could be tricky
by Robbie Sequeira, Alabama Reflector
February 24, 2025
Across the country, state lawmakers are finding rare bipartisan ground on an increasingly urgent issue for educators and parents: banning cellphone use in schools.
Fueling these bans is growing research on the harmful effects of smartphone and social media use on the mental health and academic achievement of grade to high school students.
In 2024, at least eight states — California, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia — either expanded or adopted policies or laws to curtail cellphone use in schools.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
This year, lawmakers in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin have proposed bans moving in their state legislatures.
Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last week signed a law requiring schools to ban students’ access to cellphones and other personal electronic devices during the school day.
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced a broader electronics device ban this year.
Last month, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled her plans to ban smartphones at schools.
And last week, Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker proposed a statewide ban on cellphones in classrooms.
Some experts warn, however, that these bans might be difficult to enforce — or may simply be outdated before they even take effect.
“The genie is out of the bottle, and squeezing it back in is going to be nearly impossible,” said Ken Trump, a longtime school safety expert and president of National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm. “Phones and social media have fundamentally changed society, and by extension, schooling. Outright bans may be unrealistic or difficult to enforce effectively.”
Trump thinks governors, in particular, are responding to a trend rather than conducting thorough research. “Our elected officials are running to say, ‘he [introduced a bill] so I’m going to do it too.’ … Once Florida passed their bill, it’s been an explosion.”
Florida in 2023 became the first state to enact an outright ban on cellphone use during instructional time, followed by Louisiana and South Carolina last year. Other states, including Alaska and Connecticut, issued recommendations rather than mandates, encouraging local districts to develop their own policies.
In Minnesota, districts are required to implement their own policies under the law passed last year. But a bill sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Alice Mann would ban cellphones and smartwatches in elementary and middle schools, and restrict the use of those devices in high school classrooms beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Mann began considering the measure after hearing directly from students last year.
“We had a committee hearing where kids told us how distracting cellphones were. That really caught our attention,” she said. “We talked to school districts across the state — some had no policy, some had bans for one or two years, and some had bans for longer. The ones with bans all said the same thing: ‘It’s been wonderful.’”
Enforcement
Even where bans exist, enforcement varies widely. Some schools use Yondr pouches, lockable sleeves that prevent phone access during the school day. Others require students to store their phones in lockers or classroom pouches, while some schools rely on simple classroom rules prohibiting phone use.
According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say that cellphone distraction is a major issue in their classrooms. While many teachers and administrators report positive changes after bans, students have quickly adapted, finding ways to bypass rules by slipping calculators or dummy phones into pouches, or switching to smartwatches to check social media and send texts.
“Students are more tech-savvy than lawmakers,” said Trump, the school safety expert. “They find workarounds — whether it’s through smartwatches, Chromebooks or school Wi-Fi.”
States such as Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho and Pennsylvania allocated funding for programs that provide schools with lockable phone storage pouches, or financial rewards for districts that create their own restrictive policies.
A proposed bill in Texas would go so far as to charge students up to $30 to retrieve a phone that was confiscated for violating a cellphone ban.
Schools have wrestled with how to regulate mobile devices for decades — with bans on devices such as pagers dating back to the late 1980s. In 2024, 76% of U.S. public schools prohibited cellphones for nonacademic use, notes the National Center for Education Statistics.
Total bans?
The Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles has enforced strict no-phone policies since its founding in 2017. The charter school’s no-phone policy means no usage on campus, during off-campus experiences, or even on school buses — a step beyond most phone bans.
“Cellphones present a major distraction and temptation for students,” Vanessa Garza, Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles executive director and founding principal, wrote in a statement to Stateline. “This long-standing policy has allowed our students to foster deep friendships, experience enhanced learning, and regulate healthy emotions.”
Instead of top-down state mandates, Trump, the school security expert, thinks that schools should focus on reasonable restrictions and consensus-based policies that work for individual communities.
“If you try to ban phones entirely, enforcement becomes a nightmare,” he said. “What happens when kids don’t comply? Are schools going to dedicate staff just to cellphone discipline? If policies aren’t enforced consistently, they become meaningless.”
Trump said in school emergencies, students flooding 911 with calls can overwhelm emergency responders.
If a parent needs to get in touch with their child, they can call the school, just like they always could before cellphones were in every pocket.
– Minnesota Democratic state Sen. Alice Mann
Mann, the Minnesota lawmaker, dismissed the idea that the pushback on phone bans is coming from students. Instead, she thinks parents are the ones most resistant to restrictions.
“Some parents are worried they won’t be able to reach their kids, but they absolutely can. If a parent needs to get in touch with their child, they can call the school, just like they always could before cellphones were in every pocket,” said Mann.
“What we’re hearing from students is that their phones are pinging in class all day long — and a lot of it is from parents. Parents texting, ‘What should we have for dinner?’ or ‘I’ll be home late.’ These are not emergencies.”
Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.
The post School cellphone bans spread across states, though enforcement could be tricky appeared first on alabamareflector.com
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Controversy Brews Over Former Garden Cove Site June 30, 2025 | News 19 at 6 p.m.
SUMMARY: A new health food project, Origin Foods, is stirring debate in Huntsville at the former Garden Cove natural foods site on Meridian Street. Charles Bryant, founder of Origin Foods, aims to revive heritage-based vegetarian meals inspired by his previous work at Garden Cove, emphasizing affordable, authentic nutrition. However, the original Garden Cove family, including Edna Sydney, claim they were never informed and worry customers may be misled into thinking they’re involved, labeling the project as misleading. Bryant insists Origin Foods is a distinct, respectful revival of the legacy but not a reopening, hoping to partner with local farms and schools to promote healthy, affordable food options.
There is some controversy over a new business opening at the Garden Cove site.
News 19 is North Alabama’s News Leader! We are the CBS affiliate in North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley since November 28, 1963.
https://whnt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/whntnews19
https://www.instagram.com/whntnews19/
https://twitter.com/whnt
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
City: Immigration operation won’t impact Gulf Shores High construction
SUMMARY: Federal agents raided the Gulf Shores High School construction site last week, arresting about three dozen undocumented workers. Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft stated the city was not involved in or targeted by the raid and supports enforcing immigration laws. Construction, managed by the contractor, resumed immediately after a brief shutdown and remains ahead of schedule. Despite concerns about work quality raised after the raid, the mayor dismissed them as speculative. The \$131 million school is still on track to open in Fall 2026. Similar immigration operations have occurred across the Gulf Coast, targeting undocumented workers, some linked to criminal activities.
Construction of Gulf Shores High School resumes after federal agents arrested undocumented workers. Mayor Robert Craft assures the project is on track. Read the full story: https://www.wkrg.com/baldwin-county/gulf-shores-high-school-still-set-to-open-on-time-after-ice-raid/
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
News 5 NOW at 12:30pm | June 30, 2025
SUMMARY: Amtrak will announce its Mobile to New Orleans schedule tomorrow at 8 a.m., including stops in Mississippi. Heavy rain continues to cause flooding on Government Street in Mobile, where drivers are urged to proceed cautiously. The Mobile Bay Pier will close Friday at 6 p.m. for Fourth of July fireworks setup, with the show starting at 9 p.m. Improvements at Foley’s Mel Roberts Park will include irrigation and sod on ball fields, funded by saved project money. A homicide arrest was made for a deadly shooting on Somerville Street in Mobile. Downtown Mobile streets will soon convert some one-way streets to two-way to improve walkability.
Amtrack has some big announcements, an update on a Mobile homicide, and torrential rain floods Government Street.
-
Mississippi Today5 days ago
Defendant in auditor’s ‘second largest’ embezzlement case in history goes free
-
Our Mississippi Home6 days ago
From ‘I’m Bored’ to ‘Let’s Explore’: A Summer Scavenger Hunt Through Mississippi History
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed7 days ago
Residents provide feedback in Kearney Street Corridor redevelopment meeting
-
News from the South - Georgia News Feed4 days ago
Are you addicted to ‘fridge cigarettes’? Here’s what the Gen Z term means
-
News from the South - Texas News Feed7 days ago
The Rio Grande Valley as Heart of LGBTQ+ Resistance and Joy
-
News from the South - Louisiana News Feed7 days ago
Louisiana’s energy efficiency ‘slush fund’: $80 million, few rules
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed7 days ago
Tribal organizations releases archaeological study over proposed Franklin County prison site
-
News from the South - Texas News Feed6 days ago
Country singer’s teeth fall out on stage