Cross-Partisan Momentum Builds for Phone-Free Classrooms

By Juliet Zucker

As the school year winds down in America, students eagerly anticipate the freedom of summer, but come fall, many will return to classrooms most noticeably characterized by what they lack: cellphones.

Across the country, a wave of legislation is seeking to separate students from their phones during the school day, one of the most significant shifts in classroom culture since the advent of smartphones. Lawmakers of both parties and all generations are spearheading initiatives to create so-called “distraction-free learning environments.” In May, Gen Z Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Texas, introduced her first piece of legislation — House Bill 148, which seeks to prohibit students from using a “personal communication device while on school property during the school day.”

Fairly promoted the bill on Instagram, dedicating it to Ella, a seventh-grade student who testified in support of the legislation. “She shared openly and honestly the incredible positive changes her school has seen since going phone-free,” Fairly wrote. “She has deep social relationships, is excelling in academics and athletics, and is now advocating for other students to be afforded this same learning experience.”

Republican lawmakers across the country are pushing for similar legislation under banners like House Bill 340, known as the Distraction-Free Education Act, which was signed into Georgia law May 9. It requires public schools to “enact policies and procedures for use of personal electronic devices at school” from kindergarten through eighth grade. While the law includes provisions for emergencies, medical needs, and educational use under teacher supervision, the message is consistent: phones are interfering with the core mission of education, including their impact on students’ mental health and executive functioning.

A December 2024 analysis published in Handbook of Children and Screens points toward digital media — especially the fast-paced video content dominating most social media platforms — negatively affecting students’ attention and task performance. Push notifications from phones, which trigger a release of dopamine in the brain, can pull focus away from lectures and assignments, impeding students’ intake and retention of important material.

There are also concerns for students’ social and emotional development. While research on phones and social media is still evolving, mental health professionals are increasingly vigilant to its impact on middle and high school students. Smartphone dependency is correlated with depression and low self-esteem in teenagers, both of which affect not only GPA but also overall quality of life.

The phone ban movement is rare in its ability to transcend political divides. While many early efforts were led by Republican lawmakers, Democratic governors and legislators have increasingly embraced similar policies, framing the issue around student and teacher well-being.

In Utah, Senate Bill 178, spearheaded by Republican Sen. Lincoln Fillmore and signed into law March 25, mandates a statewide ban on student phone use during classroom instruction. The bill allows local districts to tailor exemptions but sets a firm expectation that classroom time is screen-free unless needed for medical or educational purposes.

Kentucky followed suit just a day later. On March 26, Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, signed House Bill 208, a sweeping piece of legislation requiring all school boards to implement phone bans during the school day. The bill also mandates blocking social media on school devices and networks. Rep. Vanessa Grossl, a rising Republican voice in Kentucky, helped lead the charge. Her advocacy highlights a growing generational shift toward rethinking tech’s place in the classroom.

According to a Pew survey conducted in 2023, 72% of high school teachers say students being distracted by phones is a major problem in their classroom. Yet while 82% of K–12 teachers say their district has a cellphone policy, 30% say those policies are difficult to enforce.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul aims to address this challenge through a $13.5 million proposal to fund cellphone storage solutions, such as locked pouches or cubbies, in every K–12 school. Backed by the United Federation of Teachers, the plan mirrors the “Schoharie bell-to-bell approach,” where students relinquish phones at the start of the school day and regain access only at dismissal.

The trend continues. In New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Ohio, legislators are advancing bills with nearly identical goals: get the phones out of the classroom.

Oklahoma’s House Bill 1276, authored by Democratic Rep. Mickey Dollens, passed the state House by a wide 82–9 margin and now awaits Senate approval. Meanwhile, Ohio’s Senate Bill 158, sponsored by Republican Sen. Jane Timken, is currently under review in the Senate Education Committee and could go into effect by the 2025–26 school year.

Although phone restrictions are not always popular with students, the harm phones can cause outweighs their educational potential for many lawmakers. The wave of bipartisan bills is an attempt to address a rapidly expanding digital landscape — and may be the push teachers need to keep students engaged, happy and healthy in the classroom.

Additional reporting by Catherine Nichols.