Next school year, Ohio students might find themselves in a pre-Y2K throwback: a classroom without cellphones or very limited use.
In May, Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 into law, requiring Ohio school districts to create official cellphone policies. While the law leaves the specifics up to each district, the goal is to decrease the amount of time students use their phones during school.
“Local school districts will create the policies that work best in their environments and for their students, but the core mission of this bill is clear: minimize screen time during school time,” DeWine said in a news release. “Not only is this time precious for the educational development of our children, but we also have a responsibility to safeguard our kids from the nonstop barrage of alerts from the internet and social media that have been proven to be damaging to their mental health.”
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said using smartphones in schools can lead to lower academic performance, more disciplinary issues and increased bullying. As the father to teenagers, the issue is close to his heart.
When he began holding statewide forums to talk to academic leaders about cellphone use in schools, he expected some pushback. He didn’t get much. Instead, leaders whose schools had already limited cellphones reported both improved academic performance and a more social school culture.
The Ohio Education Association, which represents teachers and support professionals across the state’s schools, supports efforts to limit cellphone use in the classroom, according to Scott DiMauro, president of Ohio Education Association. Members from districts that had already limited cellphone use reported that students were “more engaged in class,” he adds, as well as more social outside of it.
Following the passage of HB 250, OEA adopted a resolution in May on the use of personal electronic devices.
“The Ohio Education Association believes that the unrestricted use of cellphones and other personal electronic devices in classrooms and other academic areas detracts from the educational environment, reduces the efficacy of teaching and learning, distracts students, facilitates cyberbullying and other harms, and undermines the educational mission of schools,” the resolution reads.
It’s not just teachers and administrators pushing for change.
Husted said students and parents see the harm in the constant “tech infringement,” too, but it’s difficult to say no to the notifications when everyone else is checking their phone.
“But if nobody’s doing it, then you’ve leveled the playing field and people are like, ‘yes, thank you,’” he says.
One concern he has heard from parents is that they want a way to reach their children in the case of a crisis.
Parents can still contact students through a front office, he says. And in the case of a widespread emergency, like a school shooting, law enforcement cautions against so many people trying to use their phones at the same time anyway. That can overwhelm the system or spread misinformation.
School districts have until July 2025 to finalize their policies.
Husted is hoping many embrace the model policy the state has created, which would prohibit students from using cellphones at any time during school hours, barring exceptions for needs outlined in individualized education programs or similar plans, or for monitoring health concerns. The model policy also includes options for discipline when the policy is violated, ranging from a verbal warning to confiscation of the phone, requiring a guardian to pick it up.
Many districts have had policies in the past that left cellphone use up to individual teachers, making enforcement of rules “virtually impossible,” DiMauro says. It’s going to be important to have “clear guidance” and communication, he said, as well as policies that are applied and enforced consistently.
Overall, the association hopes teachers get a voice in the decision-making process as districts are creating cellphone policies, and that districts craft policies with the ability to accommodate students who do need access to devices or teachers who want to occasionally incorporate personal tech into lessons.
Tips for scaling back cellphone use:
Though cellphones may not be banned at all schools in Ohio, chances are good parents are looking for ways to help children and teens unplug a bit, particularly during class.
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit focused on helping parents navigate entertainment, media and technology, found that about half of kids in the U.S. have a smartphone by age 11. The organization has some tips for parents who want to help their children use those phones responsibly in and out of the classroom:
Consider setting time limits on apps or restricting notifications, so children aren’t as easily distracted.
Share expectations on cellphone use at school, and encourage children and teens to use it as little as possible there, keeping it for things like calling or texting for a ride home.
Parents, unless it’s an emergency, refrain from texting kids at school.
At home, parents can model the cellphone behavior they want children and teens to see, like putting the phone down in the car and making time for face-to-face conversations.
And charging cellphones in a common space at night gives everyone time away from their device.