Oklahoma’s Own In Focus: What’s behind the push for cell phone-free classrooms?

State lawmakers and local school districts are trying to keep students off their phones during class. It's a topic that made its way to Governor Kevin Stitt's State of the State address last week, with the governor calling for more schools to ban cell phones.

A bill passed out of its final committee on Monday that would require districts to come up with phone policies.

We’re looking at the bills, the policies some districts already have, and how those policies have affected classrooms.

Cell Phone Ban Bills

Republican Sen. Ally Seifried has been working on a bill for two years that would require school districts to ban cell phones.

"It's a really big deal for teachers. They face burnout trying to put their phones away and teach their classes. Kids are dealing with bullying. Test scores are not great," she said.

Two versions of the bill are in the state Senate and House. Both bills give districts control over how to implement bans and would require districts to make exceptions for emergencies and medical use.

Senate Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton says the topic is one that needs discussion and input. He was on the education committee last year when the topic came up and says it created a huge debate at the Capitol.

"Is it OK for the state of Oklahoma to tell the schools, you know, your bill says bell to bell, no cell phones? That's the debate we're going to have on that issue," he said.

Schools with Cell Phone Bans

The idea of a cell phone policy isn’t new. In fact, prohibiting cell phones used to be the norm. Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows nearly 91% of school districts nationwide had some kind of policy prohibiting cell phone use back in 2009. But that number dropped to 76% in 2021.

Several local school districts in Green Country already have some kind of cell phone policy. Warner Public Schools, near Muskogee, has had its ban in place for about a decade and has some of the strictest guidelines. Students are not allowed to have their devices out at any time, including during lunch. The penalty for using a cell phone there varies from having it confiscated to suspension.

Bixby, Jenks, Tulsa, and Union Public Schools all have bans on cell phones and other smart technology during class time but use between classes and at lunch varies by grade.

A principal with experience before and after a cell phone ban says the key to making it work is parents.

Any teacher will tell you they’re not just dealing with students; it’s parents who can make or break just about any policy the schools introduce.

When school is out, students outside the Union 8th Grade Center are using phones, but during the day, inside the building, the policy is "off and away, all day."

“At the very beginning of the year, we really clarify what 'off' looks like. It’s not just on silent, it’s completely off, powered down,” said Principal Michelle Cundy.

The policy at Union is off and away for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades; for 9th grade, it’s at lunch only; and high school students can use phones at lunch and between classes. Union starts explaining the policy in lower grades, so it’s understood as children grow older.

“We let parents know this is why we’re doing this. This is what’s good for kids, and the support we had for it was really incredible,” Cundy said.

She says parent support is critical to getting students to abide by the rules.

Union started enforcing the policy three years ago, and since then, she says they’ve noticed some big changes, especially during lunch.

“You see them talking. You see some groups playing cards, some doing board games during lunch, and the social interaction is way higher than when they were glued to their phones,” said Cundy.

Students can still call their parents from the office if needed, and parents can send messages to students, again through the office—and the principal says that the old-fashioned system still works just fine.

When the governor announced his support for cell phone bans, parents responded on the News On 6 Facebook page with mixed reactions. Some were supportive of the bans, and others questioned if it should be a law or just left up to school districts.

The Senate version of the bill will be heard by the Education Committee on Tuesday, and the House version is expected to go before the full House later this week.