Schools, States Tighten Student Phone Rules

School districts across the U.S. are increasingly banning or restricting cellphones to reduce classroom distractions, with Jersey City Public Schools enacting a district-wide ban on device use during instructional time this week. Enforcement varies — confiscation until the end of the day, required daily hand‑ins for repeat violators, lockable pouches or backpacks for storage, and targeted exceptions for health or special‑education needs. Massachusetts will require every public school to restrict phones starting in 2026 after pilots such as Newton's F.A. Day Middle School, where a pouch system reportedly cut phone incidents from about 400 to 15 and boosted student engagement. New York already bars unsanctioned device use for the full school day, while districts such as Ohio’s Benton‑Carroll‑Salem and West Fargo are tailoring implementation to local needs. Administrators say the bans have increased face‑to‑face socializing, classroom attention and teacher satisfaction, though some parents have raised connectivity concerns and schools typically allow office contact or limited exceptions for emergencies.