School Cellphone Bans Have Buzz, but May Be Hard to Enforce

When it comes to banning cellphones in schools, success could be determined by the details.

Do bans apply only to classrooms, or also to hallways, bathrooms and cafeterias, where students are much more likely to be absorbed in TikTok or text messages?

Do teachers have the freedom to override bans if phones are being used as part of a lesson? Should school districts purchase devices to lock or hide phones? What about distractions from other types of screens — laptops, tablets and smart watches? And what about some parents who like the idea of being able to reach their children 24/7?

Those were just some of the questions that faced Gov. Gavin Newsom of California after he announced that his state would be the latest — after Florida and Indiana — to pursue a school cellphone ban.

Teachers who have tried to restrict cellphone use on their own said limits can be difficult to enforce, if only because phones have become so embedded into daily life, perceived as necessary for practical and emotional reasons. Yet some districts with a comprehensive policy have had success, overcoming resistance and seeing a change in student behavior.

Naomi Frierson, 44, a fifth-grade teacher in the Tampa, Fla. area, said little had changed for her since Gov. Ron DeSantis imposed a statewide ban last year on smartphone use in classrooms. She had already required students to put phones in a storage pouch that hangs on the wall away from their desks.

But, she added, she understands that phones are a useful communication tool for students who walk home alone from school, or who care for a younger sibling in the afternoons.