Back-To-School Rule Check: Your Kid’s Phone Policy May Have Changed

As students prepare to go back to school, it’s a good idea for parents and their kids to go over their school’s policies regarding cellphone use.

The rules can vary widely by district and grade level, and some schools have tightened their policies since last year. That makes it worth checking not only whether phones are allowed, but also when they must be turned off, stored or surrendered and what exceptions apply.

About 99.7 percent of U.S. public school principals say their schools have smartphone policies, according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics. Though policies differ, restrictions are generally tighter for elementary and middle school students. High schoolers have more freedoms and can use them at lunch or other free times.

What State Laws Say

At least 38 states and the District of Columbia now require local school districts to ban or restrict student cellphone use in schools, according to a newly updated Education Week tracking.

A dozen have been silent on the issue of cellphone use in schools. Others are Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

Education Week tracking also shows:

• Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have bell-to-bell policies that restrict cellphone use by students from the morning bell to the dismissal bell. This includes during lunch breaks, study halls and other times outside the classroom. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
• Eight states — Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin — restrict cellphones during instructional time only.
• Two states, Minnesota and West Virginia, require districts to develop best practices but don’t outline specific terms.

Connected Or Disconnected?

The school cellphone restriction debate pits efforts to reduce learning distractions and cyberbullying against concerns about emergency family contact and access to instructional tools. While supporters argue phones disrupt education and face-to-face interaction, opponents believe schools should teach responsible usage rather than enforce complete bans.

The push for cellphone restrictions gained momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person learning and made phones an even larger part of students’ academic and social lives.

“During remote learning, phones became a primary way kids entertained themselves and stayed connected,” Kara Stern, director of education and engagement for SchoolStatus, told Stateline, a nonprofit news outlet covering education policy. “But once schools reopened, phones stopped being a connection tool and started creating disconnection.”

Stern compared teaching a class in which students are on their phones to “trying to teach at Disney World over a loudspeaker.”

“The environment just isn’t designed for learning,” she said.

States that don’t require bell-to-bell bans could face more pressure to require them. Some teachers, superintendents and other education experts say the restrictions are working.

They view them as vital tools for enhancing academic performance, supporting student mental health, and restoring a sense of community that has been compromised by widespread screen addiction among students.

Parents, Teens See It Differently

Policies are only as effective as their enforcement, though.

A nationally representative 2025 University of Southern California survey found that most teens attend schools with cellphone restrictions, but the policies haven’t sharply reduced cellphone use.

Teens estimated they spent about 1.5 hours on their phones during the school day, regardless of their school’s policy, and nearly half of teens used phones in class.

Parents were much more supportive of the rules than teens, although most in both groups favored allowing phones outside instructional time rather than banning them all day.

Most parents and teens said the policies had little effect on learning, relationships, bullying or student well-being, though parents were more likely than teens to see benefits.

A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 74 percent of U.S. adults supported banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, up from 68 percent in 2024.

Support for banning phones throughout the entire school day also rose, from 36 percent to 44 percent.

Most adults surveyed said bell-to-bell bans for middle and high school students would likely improve classroom behavior, grades and social skills, though fewer expected them to improve student safety.

Teens are less supportive of cellphone restrictions. Pew polling earlier this year found only 41 percent of teens supported cellphone bans in middle and high school classrooms.

According to the USC study, support for cellphone restrictions was highest among teens whose schools allowed phone use during noninstructional periods.

Tell us what you think in the comments below: What should schools consider when setting student cellphone rules, and where should they draw the line between limiting distractions and allowing students to stay connected?