Last week, the Senate Education Committee approved Senate Bill 1207, sponsored by Sen. Ryan Aument (R-36), which aims to support schools that adopt policies to limit student access to cell phones during the school day.
The bill received bipartisan support and would establish a pilot program providing state funding for schools to purchase lockable bags to store cell phones during school hours.
“Students are facing a significant decline in academic achievement, and the data shows a clear correlation between these trends and the rise in cell phone use,” said Sen. David Argall, the chair of the committee.
The Impact of Cell Phone Bans in Schools
Schools like North Schuylkill implemented a cell phone ban last school year and have reported positive results. Nationwide, various legislatures and educational institutions have recognized the impact of cell phone use on academic performance and student behavior.
- California: In 2020, California passed legislation allowing schools to limit or prohibit student cell phone use. According to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California, schools that adopted these policies saw an improvement in student focus and a reduction in disciplinary issues.
- New York: The New York City Department of Education lifted its citywide cell phone ban in 2015 but allowed individual schools to set their own policies. Schools that chose to restrict cell phone use reported fewer distractions and improved test scores, according to a study by the New York University Steinhardt School.