Overview

• At least 20 U.S. states have adopted prohibitions or strict limits on student cellphone use for 2025–2026, with devices kept off and stored except for emergencies or documented needs.
• New York, now the largest district enforcing a school-day ban, mandates that campuses provide designated avenues for urgent parent–student communication.
• A Santa Fe secondary school installed secure classroom boxes for phones and reports strong support from 95% of teachers and 88% of families alongside perceived gains in concentration and classroom climate.
• Implementation methods vary by system, including locked pouches, supervised deposits, and casilleros, with exceptions for medical or specific pedagogical purposes.
• Expert guidance highlights staged, age-appropriate regulation and family controls, while dissent persists in places like Rome where a petition argues bans heighten student anxiety.