US School Districts Expand Bell-to-Bell Student Cellphone Bans

Several U.S. school districts and states are implementing stricter cell phone policies for the 2025-26 school year to reduce distractions, improve student focus, and address behavioral issues such as cyberbullying. The Northshore School District will ban personal mobile devices in early childhood, elementary, and middle schools, while allowing limited use for high schoolers outside classroom time, reporting positive outcomes in schools that have already restricted phone use. Nantucket Public Schools is considering a “bell-to-bell” policy requiring high and middle school students to turn in phones at the start of the day and retrieve them after school, aiming to promote social interaction and mental well-being. Washington School District has decided on a similar “bell-to-bell” restriction for K-8 and limited phone use during lunch for high schools, with enforcement challenges expected initially. In Georgia, Ware County Schools is extending a state cell phone ban for K-8 students to all grades, requiring devices to be turned off and stored throughout the school day to foster focus and emotional health. Florida has also enacted laws banning cell phone use during the day for younger students, with pilot programs expanding restrictions to high schools in some counties.