OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – The effort to stop students from using cell phones in Oklahoma schools gained momentum in the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The House’s Common Education Committee approved House Bill 1276.
HB 1276, written by Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, seeks to eliminate classroom distractions and improve student mental health by prohibiting cell phone use on campus.
The bill also restricts in-school use of personal electronic devices, including smartwatches.
“Data clearly shows the alarming effects of social media and smartphone usage by young people, as well as academic declines when phones are allowed in schools,” Caldwell said. “This bill would allow schools the ability to craft their own policies to prohibit the use of cell phones and smartwatches during the school day starting next school year. Schools maintain control, but students reap the benefits.”
The ban against cell phones and electronic devices would go into effect before the start of the next school year if the bill is signed into law.
Policies prohibiting cell phone use must include an emergency use provision, including items used for medical issues, according to House officials.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said cell phones disrupt a student’s ability to learn while at school.
“Going ‘bell to bell, no cell’ is about creating a learning environment where students are not continuously distracted by their devices, and Representative Caldwell has done a tremendous job rallying support for this bill,” Hilbert said. “It’s time our classrooms return to being places of learning, not distractions. House Bill 1276 gives Oklahoma’s schools the flexibility to set policies that fit their needs while reinforcing a simple goal—to let kids be kids and let teachers teach.”
Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, chair of the House Common Education Committee, prioritized HB 1276, making it the committee’s first bill in response to calls from across the state to address the issue.
“Cell phones are powerful tools, but they usually do more harm than good in the classroom,” said Lowe, a former agriculture teacher. “House Bill 1276 gives schools the flexibility to implement policies that work best for their communities and helps students be fully engaged without the constant pull of technology. I appreciate Representative Caldwell’s extensive work to find a solution that protects local control, and I hope to see this sent to the governor’s desk quickly.”
Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, recently filed Senate Bill 139. The bill restricts cell phones in classrooms from first school bell to the final bell.
“We know that when cell phones are in the classroom, students are distracted. Teachers are having to manage trying to make the cell phones go away, trying to teach their lesson plan, and the behavioral issues that are associated with them cause a lot of issues,” Seifried said. “We’ve seen anecdotal evidence, and we’ve even had some schools step forward in the state recently on behavioral issues going down, discipline issues going down when cell phones are out of the classroom.”
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt delivered his State of the State address on Monday, calling for educational reforms, including eliminating virtual days and prohibiting cell phones in classrooms.
He described cell phones as a distraction to in-class education experience and should be prohibited in classrooms.
He praised Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller for implementing a cell phone free classroom policy after noticing a decline in academic performance among his students. Miller has since seen a drastic improvement in student performances.
Stitt wants other schools to follow suit.
“I want to challenge the legislature and school districts across the state to consider ways to make cell phone free schools a reality for all students,” Stitt said.
In September, Stitt issued the Oklahoma Phone-Free Schools Challenge, calling upon students, teachers and superintendents to submit solutions for managing cell phone use in schools.
The purpose of the challenge – issued as Executive Order 2024-26 – is to address problems associated with in-school cell phone usage, including distractions from classwork, bullying and learning difficulties.
“Cell phones are useful tools, but far too often, they cause distractions in the classroom. I know we can’t solve a problem like this with a top-down, heavy-handed government mandate,” Stitt said. “I know our students and teachers have the creative and innovative minds to solve this problem in their classroom, so I want to empower them to do just that. That’s why we’re launching the Oklahoma Phone-Free School Challenge.”
The challenge began on Wednesday with Stitt giving students, teachers and administrators until Nov. 29 to submit their ideas, policies, and best practices for cell phone use in schools to the Governor’s Office.
A Pew Research Center survey found that 72 percent of high school teachers in the United States said that cell phone distraction is a major problem in classrooms.
The survey also notes that 33 percent of middle school teachers and 6 percent of elementary school teachers said that cell phone distraction is a significant problem among students.
Numerous school districts throughout the nation implemented cell phone policies, including requiring students to turn off their phones during class or leaving them with administrators during the school day.
Eighty-two percent of K-12 teachers say their school district has a cell phone policy. However, 30 percent of those teachers say cellphone polices are either very or somewhat difficult to enforce.
