Increased punishments, Yondr pouches and teacher collection baskets are just some of the ways school leaders have tried to reduce phone access, arguing they are a distraction and stymie social and academic growth.
While the number of schools taking action has quickly risen across the country, opponents voice objections including personal freedom for students and safety concerns in an emergency.
Here’s what to know:
Where are cellphone bans happening?
At least 22 states have signed legislation regarding cellphone policies in K-12 schools, while some districts or schools have also acted on their own. But not all the restrictions look the same.
States such as New York and Arkansas have implemented bell-to-bell cellphone bans, meaning students lack access to their phones the whole school day.
Others including Kentucky and Tennessee have implemented instructional time bans, allowing students their phones between classes or at lunch.
California and Arizona have laws requiring schools to create guidance around cellphone usage, and almost a dozen other states are considering legislation around cellphones in schools.
How are the policies implemented?
Implementation of cellphone restrictions vary by district.
The strictest districts have taken to using some version of a Yondr bag, a container that students must put their phones in at the beginning of the day that locks it inside.
At the end of the day, there is a device on which students can scan the bags, and the phones are released.
But not all districts have the resources to invest in hard prevention methods, with some opting for teachers to collect phones either at the beginning of the day or before class starts.
Other responses have been as simple as increasing punishments if a student is caught with a cellphone, such as taking the phone or detention.
The Hill’s Lexi Lonas Cochran has more here.
