A first-of-its-kind study captures the prevalence of public school cell phone bans. Perhaps not surprisingly, the vast majority of schools are cracking down.
The RAND Corporation surveyed nearly 1,000 K12 public school principals in October 2024 and found that nearly 97% of respondents reported having a cell phone policy in place. Most notably, elementary schools were more likely to prohibit students from bringing a phone to school.
Meanwhile, middle (6.91%) and high schools (23.45%) were more likely to allow cell phone use when class is not in session (or at the teacher’s discretion) compared with elementary schools (3.8%).
Getting students on board
A similar RAND Corporation survey was released this week, revealing that two-thirds of K12 schools enforce “bell-to-bell” policies, meaning students can’t use their cell phones while school is in session.
In contrast, some 16% of principals said that their schools’ policy allows students to use cell phones only during lunch or between classes, while 9% of principals allow cell phone use during class at the teacher’s discretion.
One of the primary benefits of enforcing cell phone bans, according to principals, is school safety and climate. Some 70% of principals said that cell phone bans improved school climate, and 67% said inappropriate use of cell phones (such as photographing students in restrooms or locker rooms, livestreaming, photographing or recording fights) decreased.
Another 54% of leaders said their school’s policies have reduced cyberbullying while at school; 44% said students are less distracted during safety and emergency drills; and 26% said students have stopped making threats against their schools on social media.
However, there are a couple of drawbacks associated with restrictions. Nearly a quarter of principals said parents are concerned about losing a direct line to their children, especially during emergencies.
Another 10% of leaders said students are more anxious because they can’t call their parents during emergencies.
As a result, only 11% of K12 students support a bell-to-bell cell phone ban. However, younger students are more supportive of more restrictive policies. For example, storing cell phones in safe lockers was twice as popular among middle school students as it was among high schoolers.
Here’s some closing data on students’ views:
Reasons why schools should ban cell phones from class
- Reduce distractions (88%)
- Reduce cheating (54%)
- Improve kids’ social skills (42%)
- Reduce bullying (27%)
Reasons why schools should not ban cell phones from class
- Parents should be able to reach their child when needed (81%)
- Cell phones can be useful for classwork (46%)
- Kids need to learn on their own to use cell phones responsibly (46%)
- It’s up to parents or the kids, not the school (37%)
- It’s too hard to enforce a ban (25%)
