Smart Devices

In Washington, where state leaders have left it up to local school districts to enact cellphone restrictions, 75 percent of districts have updated policies, half of which prohibit phones only during class time.

School IT leaders are experimenting with different methods to improve the life cycle of student devices. Without targeted federal funding, 1:1 programs will need other sustainable revenue streams to survive.

A project to analyze flooding in south Chicago will eventually consist of about 50 sensors transmitting data in real time for analysts and emergency responders.

Some students say being disconnected from cellphones at school deprives them of an academic and socializing tool, while school officials have noticed improvements in academics and student behavior.

Competing bills in the state House and Senate failed to get sufficient bipartisan support, with Democrats favoring a requirement that local districts craft their own policies while Republicans pushed for a statewide ban.

Cambridge Central School District leaders say their limited cellphone restrictions resulted in a marked improvement in student discipline issues, including bullying and distractions.

At least 80 percent of Massachusetts school districts already have some type of cellphone restrictions in place, and local school committees of governing boards would be required to approve the new restrictions.

To ensure more consistent and responsive communication with student families, Kanawha County Schools in West Virginia redesigned its website and worked with the ed-tech company Apptegy on a bespoke mobile app.

Some Texas parents are in an uproar at the idea their child wouldn’t have cellphone access at school, but the editorial board of the Weatherford Texas Democrat argues that their anger is misplaced, and unwarranted.

Smartphones and the COVID-19 pandemic certainly didn't help, but when students receive their primary learning through apps and websites, they risk shortened attention spans and cognitive and behavioral declines.

To help them comply with an executive barring students from using phones during the school day, at least two Portland high schools have asked caregivers for donations to offset the costs of lockable pouches.

A law intended to prevent inappropriate sexual communication has complicated the ability of coaches, band directors and school mentors to reach students, and gave no specifics on how parents can provide consent.

Schools across the U.S. have had to reckon with cellphones, and next push, some education leaders say, could be for additional guidance or structure on how — or how long — devices are used in class.

Commenting on a Facebook post asking for their reactions to Alabama's school cellphone restrictions, many parents voiced their support, and some said the policy should apply to teachers, too.

New York law will soon require students to have their cellphones turned off at school and stored in a way chosen by their principals. Gov. Kathy Hochul recommended that parents start preparing their kids for this reality.

Principal Jessiah Gilchrist said Cedar Rapids Taft Middle School has had a policy in place since 2020 restricting the use of cellphones, and he said it's been "so effective."

A recent report by Common Sense Media says three quarters of teens have used AI companions, which are designed to be agreeable and validating. More than a third found them more "satisfying" than interacting with friends.

The 2026-27 Ohio budget mandates that K-12 districts create policies to govern the use of artificial intelligence and cellphones, and offers a handful of $100,000 grants to community colleges for implementing AI.