Smart Devices

Katy Independent School District in Texas approved a policy prohibiting elementary and middle school students from having smart watches in school, and high school students from having them during instructional time.

Legislation recently advanced by the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee would enlist various districts to participate in a two-year pilot program to test the impact of locking up student cellphones during the day.

Faculty at Fredericksburg City Public Schools in Virginia overwhelmingly say the district should make clear to students and their families that only school-issued devices will be allowed during instructional time.

With at least two potential bills dealing with smartphones in schools moving through the California legislature, some schools in Folsom and Roseville have already implemented policies limiting phone access during class.

Teen addiction to smartphones is as observable as the noses on their faces, and the effects are increasingly backed up by data. Schools that keep phones out of reach during class see better grades and less cyber bullying.

Recent surveys by Carroll County Public Schools in Maryland found support for banning phones throughout the school day was highest among teachers, lower among parents, and lowest among students.

HearMeWA, a statewide hotline and mobile app from the Washington Attorney General's Office, is for youth facing anything from food insecurity to social difficulties, suicidal thoughts or threats of violence at school.

A high school biology teacher in Arizona says he will not be returning to the classroom next year, in part because he found it so draining to pour his heart into students whose attention was consumed by mobile apps.

Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of AI features, can proofread and rewrite documents, generate images and emojis, transcribe phone calls and voice memos, summarize emails and lectures, and solve math problems.

An "away-for-the-day" policy, which required sixth-grade students to have their cellphones turned off and out of sight for the entirety of the school day, led to "less drama, less bullying and less harassment."

Chief administrator of Indian River Central School District in New York said he welcomes the idea of a statewide policy restricting the use of smartphones during class, which have become controversial and distracting.

Endorsing potential legislative action for the next session, Gov. Kathy Hochul suggested banning smartphones from schools, but possibly allowing cell phones that can send text messages and not access the Internet.

Moved by research into the mental-health effects of cellphone addiction in young people, administrators at Wilton School District in Connecticut will form a committee to discuss the idea of restricting phones in schools.

The state will require students to stow phones during class — a decision that comes as states across the country fight back against excessive teen phone use, citing growing research on its negative impact.

A new bill signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives K-12 school districts until 2025 to craft new policies limiting the use of personal devices, and related distractions, in the classroom.

The most recent legislative session saw a bill requiring every school district and charter school to set cellphone use policies by March 15, 2025. Other bills aimed to forbid book-banning and study issues with attendance.

The Cuyahoga County Overdose Prevention App is designed to keep drug users safe by connecting them to someone who can stay in contact until they’re out of danger of overdosing. It was developed through a state opioid response grant.

The My Whitfield community mobile app offers details on area housing, careers and events as well as links to regional municipal websites. It was developed in partnership between the county, the city of Dalton, and civic organizations.