‘Bell to bell’ bill ban on student cellphone use advances
A bill that would ban student cellphone use in Pennsylvania schools during the school day has moved a step forward.
The state Senate last week passed a bipartisan bill, 46-1, requiring public schools to implement “bell-to-bell” bans on student cellphone use during the school day.
Senate Bill 1014 aims to curb classroom distractions, improve academic performance and address growing concerns about youth mental health and social development. It is now moving to the state House of Representatives after being referred to the Education Committee.
“Our classrooms should be places for learning, not constant notifications,” said state Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-37, who co-sponsored the bill. “This bill gives students the freedom to focus, connect with peers, and protect their mental health from the pressures of social media.”
The bill would require each school district to develop its own bell-to-bell cellphone policy, following a consistent statewide standard: students may not carry or use cellphones during the school day. Districts have the flexibility to decide how to implement and enforce a policy that works best for their communities, such as where phones must be stored.
The bill includes exceptions for medical needs, individualized education programs (IEPs) requiring a communication device, English-language learners using translation apps and instructional use with teacher permission.
If passed, it would make Pennsylvania the 20th state with a bell-to-bell ban. Ohio has enacted the bell-to-bell ban, while West Virginia last year passed a bill to prohibit use of cellphones in classrooms in all public schools.
Locally, school districts have increasingly implemented policies on student cellphone use, ranging from all-day bans – where students place their phones in a pouch – to cellphones being allowed only during certain times of the day.
Washington School District in 2022 adopted a policy to ban the use of cellphones during the school day.
Students in grades 7 to 12 place their phones in a Yondr pound and lock it. At the end of the school day, they unlock the pouch using a device located near the doors.
Two weeks ago, students at Uniontown Area School District’s Lafayette Middle School began using the Yondr pouches, which were purchased with grant money.
“Overall, it’s gone really well,” said Mindy Matthews, UASD director of curriculum. “Already, teachers have said students are more focused since there’s no disruption of social media and being on phones during class, and the students are starting to talk to each other. They don’t have their noses in the phone all the time.”
Matthews acknowledged that student cellphone use can be a significant distraction, leading to issues ranging from lower academic performance to cyberbullying.
“These days, there are students who participate in large group chats – not the old-school way of passing a note to a person – and one text can go to 50 people simultaneously, and that can fuel the fire of gossip and drama. By us taking that away, that’s helpful,” she said.
California Area School District implemented a “Mindful Campus” initiative two years ago, with students cellphone-free during the school day.
Superintendent Dr. Laura Jacob said the program has been “tremendously positive.”
In the Bentworth School District, student cellphone use is limited during the day. Students in grades 9 through 12 can use their phones in between classes and at lunch. It is the teacher’s discretion whether or not to permit cellphone use during class.
Bentworth Superintendent Scott Martin said the bill, if passed, will make the district change its policy, and that administrators are talking about how to implement and enforce a new one.
Brownsville Area School District, too, has implemented a cellphone ban.
Charleroi Area School District is in talks with Yondr to implement a cellphone-free school day.
School leaders assured parents they will be able to reach their children in case of an emergency at home, and students can ask school officials to contact their family.
And, during an emergency at school – such as an evacuation – schools can communicate with families through various channels and safety protocols.
Additionally, said Uniontown’s Matthews, the middle school’s teachers have hand-held magnets to unlock pouches, “so if there is an emergency like an evacuation, teachers can unlock those phones.”
The nonprofit National Association of School Resource Officers late last year voiced support for school policies and legislation that bar cellphone access for K-12 students during instructional time.
“Access to phones during the school day reduces student safety in normal and especially emergency situations. During normal days, phone access promotes social media drama and cyberbullying and makes it easier for students to plan physical altercations, all of which hinder student safety,” NASRO executive director Mo Canady said.
Schools, educators, and parents have increasingly expressed concern about the link between smartphones and anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, and reduced classroom engagement.
Recent data reveals an decline in youth mental health and academic performance, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association and other teachers unions, along with PA Unplugged, a grassroots group advocating for phone-free schools, have been supportive of the bell-to-bell policy.
Among the research presented:
* Teens receive an average of 237 notifications daily and spend nearly eight hours per day on screens — equivalent to a full-time job. On average, 1 1/2 of these hours are during the school day.
* Nearly half of U.S. teens report experiencing cyberbullying, 45% feel overwhelmed by social media drama, and 26% say it worsens their lives.
* Since the early 2010s, teen depression has surged by approximately 150%, while suicide rates among children ages 10-14 tripled between 2007 and 2021, with the steepest increases among girls. Research also links smartphone use before age 13 to increased aggression, emotional instability, and suicidal thoughts later in life.
While administrators largely agree with restricting student device use during the school day – some are split on on whether a statewide mandate is better than allowing districts to design their own policies – students have mixed feelings.
“I think it would be inconvenient for me. I’m a very busy person and I have a lot going on in my life, working three jobs and doing a lot of extracurriculars, and it’s how I keep track of everything. I try not to be on it in class, but there are things I need together done,” said McGuffey High School junior Moshe Dale. “I do get a lot of texts during the day about activities. If there’s a ban, there is nothing I can do, I’d have to figure out another way of communication, but it will be quite a pain.”
Derek Krofcheck, a junior at California Area High School, said he feels ambivalent about the proposed statewide cellphone ban.
“I do see both sides of it,” said Krofcheck, who addressed the CASD school board in January about cellphone use. “I think there are other options than blanket banning. Personally, I fell cellphone banning is a little unnecessary because phones are in every aspect of our lives – work, school. Phones are required for most things.”
Maya Kilgore, a senior at Wash High, where cellphone use is restricted, said, “A ban helps teachers manage classrooms because they have a policy backing them up,” but added, “Having phones available as resources does help students during the school day in some circumstances.”
Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10th District), a former teacher, called the bill a “common-sense, science-backed response to a problem families and teachers have been raising for years.”
He said phones in classrooms undermine learning, attention, and student well-being.
“As a former teacher, I know how essential clear, consistent rules are to supporting educators and keeping students engaged in learning,” he said. “With the passage of Senate Bill 1014 … we’re taking an important step toward creating more focused, distraction-free classrooms.”