Here is one issue unifying Americans on all sides of the political fence: school cellphone bans.
Just this spring, a wave of governors and legislatures—regardless of political leanings—are barring the devices throughout the school day as some districts have also taken action to eliminate technological distractions.
Alabama’s brand new FOCUS Act prohibits students’ personal use of cellphones and other wireless devices in schools.
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“The truth is this isn’t just about a law, it’s about what happens when students and teachers are given the space and focus to grow,” Alabama junior high Principal Christy Wright said during Republican Gov. Kay Ivey’s bill signing ceremony. Wright’s district, Pike Road Schools, had previously implemented a ban and seen improvements in test scores.
“We’ve seen a clear shift in our school culture: more engagement, deeper connections and a greater sense of community,” Wright said. “But the impact hasn’t just been social, it’s also academic.”
Iowa’s K12 cellphone ban went into effect immediately earlier this spring, with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds saying schools that have already barred the devices reported positive results. She noted that, at one Des Moines high school that banned phones, A’s and B’s increased by 14% and the failure rate dropped by half.
“These changes will not only improve the learning environment for students, but the social interactions they have with each other and their teachers,” Reynolds said.
A ban sponsored by a Democratic lawmaker that is nearing implementation in Missouri will outlaw cellphones throughout the school day, including during lunch and break times, the Missouri Independent reported.
“The statistics really do hold that if we do the (full day), bell to bell, that’s going to have the biggest turnaround,” State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff told the Independent.
Georgia’s newly approved ban covering elementary and middle school goes into effect in the 2026-27 school year. Arkansas, New York, Oklahoma and Utah enacted statewide bans earlier this year.
Individual districts banning phones include Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools, which will bar the devices for the entire day starting next school year, WDRB reported.
