Cell phone bans and restrictions in K-12 schools continue to gain momentum this academic year. As of Dec. 2025, 35 states and Washington, D.C., have signed or already enacted laws or policies regarding student cell phone usage in K-12 classrooms, according to a report from Ballotpedia.
At a more local level, many school boards and districts have also voted to limit or ban cell phones in the classroom, some even before their state made it a requirement. For instance, in June 2024, the the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board voted to ban cell phones and social media during the school day.
As part of LAUSD’s policy, which went into effect on Feb. 18, phones must be turned off and stored away and cannot be put on silent or vibrate mode. Phones will not be allowed during lunch or breaks but can be used on campus before and after school hours.
According to a 2023 report from Common Sense Media, half of kids ages 11 to 17 receive at least 237 notifications on their phones on a typical day — 25% of which are received during the school day. In the past year or so, dozens of school districts have sued the parent companies of Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, alleging their apps cause classroom disciplinary problems and mental health issues and divert resources from education.
Amy Rock Editorial, LLC 