A bill to ban bell-to-bell cellphone use in Massachusetts public schools that is moving through the state Legislature has generated a wealth of support from districts that have already implemented such a policy, and provided a moment of introspection for other districts who are taking a closer look at their own rules surrounding the issue.
Over the past decade, educators, legislators and even some students have called for action on a ban on cellphones in schools. The issue is gaining some traction on Beacon Hill after the Senate on July 31 adopted a bill that does just that. The bill, “An Act to Promote Student Learning and Mental Health,” (S.2561), now heads to the House for discussion.
“It seems to me that it is a fairly bipartisan issue and I think their is an agreement among parents that legislation at the state level will help children,” said parent Paul Gillio, who has children in the Easthampton Public School District.
There are three widely voiced concerns about cellphone use in schools: the distraction it creates for students and teachers, the negative mental health effects attributed to social media use, and the decline in regular face-to-face communication.
The proposed legislation would require K-12 public school districts to have policies on the books before the 2026-2027 academic year banning student use of personal electronic devices such as cellphones during school days. Local education officials could include “variations” in their bans “that align with the developmental level of students and the structure of the school day in each grade level and school,” according to a Senate Ways and Means Committee summary.
Students would be allowed to use devices in certain cases such as when a health care provider indicates doing so is necessary to treat a health condition, and each district’s policy would need to allow for “at least one method” by which students could communicate with parents and guardians during the day, the summary said.
Many districts already have their own cellphone limits in place, and supporters have been pushing for statewide action to fill any gaps, arguing that the devices are a persistent distraction that can fuel social tension and mental health issues.
Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell have expressed support for limiting student access to cellphones during the school day, while House Speaker Ron Mariano has not taken a definitive stance.
Hampshire Regional’s pouches
Many schools that have already implemented rigorous, bell-to-bell ban policies may have not to change much if the bill is passed.
Last year, Hampshire Regional High School, where students in grades 7-12 attend school, completed a pilot using “Yondr” pouches that lock student’s cellphones away throughout the day. Hampshire Regional Superintendent Vito Perrone noticed multiple changes since they adopted the pouches as part of their cellphone policy, including the volume level at lunch.
“Kids at lunch were talking to each other more, they didn’t have to look at their phones,” he said.
Pouches by Yondr, based in San Francisco, are also used by Greenfield Public School District and are advertised to be used at schools, entertainment shows, weddings and more.
At the beginning of the day, students place their phones in small gray Yondr pouches that are sealed magnetically. They can only be opened at the end of the day at a station that uses a magnet to open the pouch. Students have the option to leave their cellphones in the car, a common option for seniors who have the ability to go out for lunch.
If students need to get in touch with their guardians, there are telephones in the school office that can be used.
Perrone gave major credit to Lauren Hotz, principal of Hampshire Regional Middle and High School, and the School Committee members who helped spearhead the efforts to implement the pouches.
“We’re kind of ahead of the curve on the legislation …,” Perrone said about the new policy. “There’s no distraction, there’s no need for teachers to discipline their students for using this ubiquitous tool.”
Perrone cited evidence that has shown a spike in mental health challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He feels schools should help mitigate those challenges by reducing overall cellphone use for children.
In the months following the pilot of Yondr pouches at Hampshire Regional High, a survey of students and staff found that 86% of staff members reported they no longer had to pause class time to “deal with cellphones,” and 70% reported the pouches were very effective at reducing cellphone use during class.
Perrone noted that while there was some push back from students and parents, a majority of the feedback has been supportive. If the bill is passed, he said it won’t have much of an effect on Hampshire Regional since they already implement a bell-to-bell ban on cellphones.
ReConnect Western Mass
Support for cellphone ban policies doesn’t stop at the Hampshire Regional. Groups around the area have rallied in support of phone-free schools, including ReConnect Western Mass based in Northampton.
“I’ve had a lot of experience with children who are struggling and I really have seen through my work how big of an impact it is having on our most struggling learners,” said Emily Boddy, a founding member of the group. “It matters for all of our children that a classroom is a place where you can learn.”
ReConnect Western Mass outlines five guiding norms to its philosophy: encouraging families to delay smartphones until age 14; delaying social media use until age 16; phone-free schools; more unsupervised play and childhood independence through less smartphone use; and a balanced and intentional approach to digital technology at home and in school.
Boddy is also a part of the national groups Distraction Free Schools and Smartphone Free Childhood. A parent of two and someone with experience working as a child career specialist and in a child custody court, she has seen the negative impact of cellphones on children’s mental health in a number of ways.
The Pew Research Center found that 46% of teens who say they use the internet almost constantly, up from only about 24% of teens in 2014. Boddy noted while there is minimal quantifiable data showing the positive affect of cellphone ban policies so far, the anecdotal evidence from educators and parents shows overwhelming support.
“It’s about supporting our teachers,” Boddy said about cellphone bans. “I want teachers to feel like they are thriving in our classrooms and we’ve heard so much from teachers that the phones are such a barrier to allowing kids to access learning and allowing kids to have social connections.”
Many parents and guardians want their children to have cellphone access in schools, in case they need to get in touch, though Boddy notes that there are other ways for guardians to contact schools when such a need arises. She also notes that some children require access to cellphones in schools for medical purposes and accommodations.
Guardians who oppose the bill also worry that they wouldn’t be able to get in touch with their children during emergencies. Boddy referenced evidence that has shown in an emergency, it is more dangerous for children to have access to phones. Misinformation about situations can be spread easily, children can be distracted from crucial instructions and using the devices can interfere professionals responding in an emergency.
Less strict approach
Other school districts in the region have addressed cellphone use in less strict ways, such as letting teachers be in charge of policies for their own classrooms or simply asking students to not to use phones during class.
For Northampton Public School District, the elementary schools and middle school do not allow cellphone use during the course of the instructional day. For the high school, phones must be turned off is off and put away with limited use allowed during designated times.
“I understand the challenge that it presents in the classroom and the concern for distraction that students and adults have about their smartphones,” said Northampton School Committee Vice Chair Gwen Agna. “If it were a simple solution to say there are no cellphones and everyone’s happy I would support that. It’s not that simple.”
The School Committee earlier this month decided to form an ad-hoc group made up of appointed representatives to discuss what a bell-to-bell cellphone policy would look like in its district. The group will be hearing from multiple stakeholders in the schools, including students, parents and educators about their thoughts for the foreseeable future.
“I want us to do the right thing for our students, and educators that are challenged to get the attention of their students in their class if they have access to phones,” said Agna in an interview with the Gazette. “I know we have to do something and I’m glad that we’re going to do something with their voices at the table.”
For the Easthampton Public School District, cellphone use is allowed before and after school, between classes and during lunch. Students are required to store their cellphones in a phone pouch maintained by teachers during class times, unless specifically allowed by the teacher.
“For me it’s a double-edged sword,” EPS Superintendent Michelle Balch said about the bill.
Balch recognizes both those in favor and in opposition of the bill, and the challenge that cellphones in schools presents.
“Should new laws or School Committee policies be enacted, Easthampton Public Schools will implement and uphold those requirements to ensure consistency and compliance,” Balch said in an email to the Gazette. “Our goal is to balance responsible use of technology with creating an environment where students are fully engaged, present, and supported in their learning.”
Other local districts, such as the Frontier Regional School District, have decided not to enact a full-day ban on cellphones. Superintendent Darius Modestow said he believes school districts should be responsible for implementing their own phone policies, not the state government.
“When the state gets a hold of something like this, they’re going to tell us how to run a school when they’re not educators,” Modestow said. “At Frontier, we’ve always had the mentality that you can’t ignore the fact that cellphones have been integrated into our society, and so you have to have rules that are reasonable.”
Frontier, Modestow said, has implemented a policy requiring that high school students store their phones in containers or charging racks while they’re in class. He said in the event that a student needs to use his or her cellphone for an appropriate purpose, such as notifying their parents of a change in schedule, Yondr pouches would complicate things.
“The pouches, they look good in theory, but a simple magnet opens them. We can invest $20,000 in putting in a pouch program and then someone can just use a fish magnet to open all of them. They’re teenagers, so they’re going to find ways around whatever rule you put in the place,” he said. “I’d be curious to see where this [legislation] ends up, and then you just get concerned with feel-good laws that don’t have the teeth. It just becomes more compliance for districts.”
Staff writer Anthony Cammalleri contributed to this report. Material from State House News Service was used in this report.