Schools Are Enacting Cellphone Policies. Are They Working?

Caption: A map depicts state-level school cellphone policies as of May 2025. Image courtesy of Ballotpedia.

Here’s how three K–12 schools have tackled the complexities around implementing cellphone policies:

Lackawanna City School District in New York

At Lackawanna City School District, “phones had increasingly become a source of disruption, impacting academic engagement, fueling social conflict, and weakening student-to-student and student-to-staff connections,” says Superintendent Nadia Nashir.

The district’s policy is simple: “No cell bell to bell.” Upon arrival, students place their phones into pouches that stay locked until dismissal.

While some students were resistant at first, “the biggest challenges came from parents” who were used to instant communication with their kids, she says. “Some families were understandably concerned about timely notifications.”

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Nashir communicated reassurances, letting parents know about the district’s Crisis Response Team protocols, and she informed them of best practices. “If students had access to phones during a lockdown, chaos could ensue — calls home, misinformation and unnecessary panic,” she says. “Law enforcement strongly advises against this.”

The impact of the ban has been overwhelmingly positive. Nashir cites “improved behavior, stronger engagement and restored focus.”

“We made this change for the right reasons, and we’re already seeing the difference.”

Schoharie Central School District in New York

For Schoharie Central School District, something changed after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Students came back with earbuds or headphones on, and they seemed different. They were isolating themselves,” says Superintendent of Schools Dave Blanchard. The hallways were too quiet, and teachers were encountering trouble getting kids to participate or engage, he adds.

The district implemented a no-phone policy across all grades. “Students enter the building and put their phones in a pouch, keep the pouch on themselves, and then move through their day with their phones powered off and put away,” Blanchard says.

Parents worried about being out of contact, and the district made a big effort to offer reassurance. “We held public forums with parents, stakeholders and teachers. We brought people in to have discussions a couple of times before implementation,” Blanchard says.

Schoharie Central School District also made process changes because kids were unable to text real-time updates to their families in the event of schedule changes. “We had to get better at putting that information out there in a timely way,” he says.

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The cellphone policy has been successful from the start. “Kids started to talk to each other,” Blanchard says. The hallways and the cafeteria came alive again, and the classroom dynamic changed. “Kids were more attentive, more engaged. We saw a quick transformation.”

Los Angeles Unified School District in California

As Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Nick Melvoin visited his local schools, he became increasingly concerned. “I would see kids surreptitiously having their phones in class, texting when they thought that no one would see them,” he says. In the hallway and the lunch area, “every kid was on their phone.”

He was also following the research on excessive screen time. “It’s harming their academics, their physical health and their mental health. We’re seeing increased anxiety and suicidal ideation,” he adds.

At Melvoin’s prompting, the district implemented a phone ban. Elementary-aged kids don’t bring their phones, while middle and high schools use a combination of cellphone pouches, lockers and the honor system to ensure devices are out of sight.

The district took things slow, adopting the policy in June and waiting until the following February to implement it. In that time there were town halls, presentations and one-on-one conversations.

Some students pushed back at first, but not much. “There were some rolling their eyes,” he says. Parents largely had safety concerns, he notes, leading to a key message from the school. “It’s safer if kids don’t have their cellphones and that adults manage those emergency protocols. As horrific as it sounds, a ping or even a vibration can let an assailant know where kids are hiding,” Melvoin says.

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To make a phone ban work, schools need to improve their communication processes. “If a parent can’t reach their child — not just in an emergency but also on a normal school day — there have to be mechanisms to do that through the school, whether that’s through a front office or with proactive communication in emergency situations,” Melvoin says.

LAUSD’s policy is working.

“Kids are more active during the passing period. They’re talking to one another,” he says. “You also have other districts in states passing these policies almost every week, which is a sign of a moment whose time has come.”