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NEBRASKA — Do cellphones have a place in the classroom? A bill proposed in the Nebraska Legislature says no and seeks to restrict their use, something that has been gaining traction nationwide.
At least eight states have enacted cellphone bans in classrooms over the past two years, those include California, Minnesota, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Virgina, South Carolina and Florida, according to the Associated Press.
“The push for cellphone bans has been driven by concerns about the impact screen time has on children’s mental health and complaints from teachers that cellphones have become a constant distraction in the classroom,” AP stated.
A number of other states including Nebraska and its neighbors, Iowa and Wyoming are considering a proposed ban.
LB 140 was introduced by Senator Rita Sanders of Bellevue and it would require all school boards of a public school district to develop and establish a policy restricting student use of cellphones while in school, on school property or attending a school function.
LB 140 was refereed to the Education Committee for discussion.
Locally, some school districts have already taken that step.
At Grand Island Senior High, the use of personal electronic devices, such as cell phones, by students was not allowed at the start of the 2024 school year.
From 8:05 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. all cell phones and personal electronic devices must be in backpacks or pockets, out of sight.
“We have seen at GISH that cell phones, earbuds and other personal electronic devices do not serve a helpful academic purpose. We have a responsibility to respond to the growing issues of cyberbullying and fostering healthy hallways and classrooms,” Grand Island Public Schools stated.
In fall 2024, Kearney Public Schools announced an updated cellphone, earbud and smartwatch policy for the school year.
KPS allows for cellphone or earbud use during lunch, passing periods, school activities and before and after school. However, electronics are not to be use during class time, phones must be place in a caddy during the duration of the class and are not allowed in the hallways during class time.
Nationally, around 77 percent of U.S. schools prohibit cellphones at school for non-academic purposes uses, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
However, if students are following the band or how schools are enforcing them is not well represented in the broad data.
