DOVER – On the first day of the second leg of the 153rd General Assembly, the House passed bipartisan legislation aimed at limiting the use of cell phones in schools.
Sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams and Sen. Eric Buckson, Senate Bill 106 requires each school district and charter school to adopt a student cell phone use policy, created with educator input, governing cell phone use during school hours.
The legislation stems from the work of the Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force, which identified cell phones as a significant classroom disruption. As part of its final recommendations, the task force called on the General Assembly to implement a statewide framework for school cell phone policies.
“We’re seeing how cell phones are a constant distraction in the classroom. The work of this task force shows how it continues to be one of the largest concerns with school climate throughout our state. Cell phones impact not just our students’ learning but has a larger impact on the environment for our educators and administrators,” said Rep. Kim Williams.
“This legislation builds on the successful work of many districts and ensures that our state is aligned in its goal of limiting distractions in the classroom while still providing the flexibility for districts to develop their own policies.”
Under SB 106, each school district and charter school must adopt a policy that includes clear guidelines defining acceptable cell phone use at school, limits on cell phone use during instructional time, and designated times and places where students may use their phones. Policies must also encourage communication among schools, parents or guardians, and students, establish appropriate consequences for violations, and include exceptions for emergency situations and medical or educational accommodations.
“SB 106 sends a clear message to school districts that inappropriate cell phone usage in our schools directly correlates with low productivity, poor test performance, and increased behavioral problems,” Senator Buckson (R-South Dover) said.
“Having clear guidelines helps school districts maintain effective policies that empower classroom educators.”
While the vast majority of Delaware schools already have policies governing cellphone use, SB 106 creates a statewide baseline while still allowing districts and charters the ability to tailor their policies to local needs.
Nationally, 20 states have completely banned phones and tablets during school hours.
According to Pew Research Center, 72 percent of high school teachers say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classrooms. Research has also found that cell phone use during class is associated with lower academic achievement.
