Are you thinking of changing the cell phone policy in your school district? As it turns out, you’re not the only one. With smartphones in the pocket of almost every student, districts are scrambling to find a cell phone policy that best serves their community. We’ve gathered everything you need to know to help you navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.
How did we get here?
By 2009, 91% of school districts banned cell phone usage in class. However, as you may remember, smartphones weren’t commonplace in schools back then. Yes, the iPhone was invented in 2007, but it wasn’t in the pocket of every student that roamed the halls. Instead, if students had phones handy, they were most likely flip phones with little use for anything other than calling and texting. Even then, unlimited text and call plans were seen as a luxury, not the norm.
Fast forward to 2015—smartphones have taken over, and almost every student had access to one, fully equipped with internet, games, music, podcasts, and more. Despite the distraction potential going through the roof, only 66% of school districts nationwide had a cell phone ban at that time.
By 2021, the number of districts with bans went up to 76%, still not reaching pre-smartphone numbers, and with mixed success.
What’s trending now?
During the 2025-26 school year, most K-12 students will be in a state with a cellphone restriction policy—a dramatic shift from just one year ago.
According to Education Week, as of July 2025, 31 states either already limit or ban students from using their personal devices in school or plan to do so this year. Here’s the breakdown:
- 27 states and D.C. require districts to develop their own cellphone policies meeting state parameters
- 4 states (Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah) have a single statewide policy all schools must follow
- 5 states recommend districts adopt restrictions
- 2 states (Delaware, Pennsylvania) incentivize districts to create policies
Most state laws include exemptions for students with IEPs, health needs like diabetes, and emergency situations. Some states require devices to be stored or locked up, while others allow educational use with teacher permission.
How do families feel about these changes?
Support for cellphone restrictions is growing. According to a Pew Research Center poll, 75% of adults now support banning phones during class time, up from 68% last fall. Support for all-day restrictions jumped from 36% to 44%.
However, many parents remain concerned. According to National Parents Union polling, the top worries are:
- Safety: Parents want to reach their children during emergencies, especially given concerns about violence and bullying
- Digital literacy: Families worry students won’t learn to manage devices responsibly, leaving them unprepared for the workforce
As one parent advocate noted, many parents say they’ll find workarounds—including decoy phones—rather than leave their children without communication access.
Should I ban phones in my district?
Only you know what’s best for your school district and community at large. It’s a difficult question to answer, since you’ll undoubtedly have mixed opinions regardless of the decision you make. However, here are some things to keep in mind as you outline your phone policy:
Consider the burden on teachers
Many districts have an open-ended policy that leaves the decision up to the individual teacher’s discretion. While that may seem like the best way to please everybody, it actually leaves teachers with little support. If a class’s science teacher is open to cell phone use and their English teacher bans it, the class is less likely to respect the English teacher’s rules.
State-level policies can actually help by giving teachers the backing they need to enforce restrictions consistently.
Real life experience with digital citizenship
Cell phone use isn’t all bad. In fact, students need to use their phones to get real-life experience with digital citizenship. As they get older and you introduce media literacy and digital citizenship into their curriculum, they need the basic knowledge to understand those more nuanced concepts.
Consider North Carolina’s approach: their law requires all K-12 schools to teach digital literacy alongside cellphone restrictions.
Safety first
Families feel best knowing their child can reach them in the event of an emergency. Most state policies recognize this by including emergency exemptions.
Phones are an indisputable distraction
Teachers consistently report that phones—especially parents texting students during class—are major classroom distractions. Research suggests that cellphone bans could improve students’ grades, social skills, and classroom behavior.
The research is still emerging
Because these policies are so new, there hasn’t been enough time to study them systematically. In many states, it will likely be a couple of years before schools can collect meaningful data on effectiveness.
One thing experts agree on: cellphone bans alone aren’t enough. If we want students off their devices, we need to invest in activities and clubs where students can connect in person. Creating joy through in-person community can’t just happen during lesson time.
The Bottom Line
The cellphone policy landscape has shifted dramatically in 2025. With 31 states now taking action, this issue has moved from debate to implementation. Whatever approach you choose, make it clear, consistent, and responsive to your community’s specific needs—and don’t forget to seek input from students, parents, and teachers throughout the process.
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