Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs cell phones in classrooms bill; here’s what schools have to do
.jpg "Gov. Mike DeWine signs House Bill 250 at Karrer Middle School in Dublin.")
It’s been a debate for years- how should teachers regulate texting during school?
If schools just outright ban phones as a distraction during class, what would students do if they needed to contact their parents during emergencies?
Yesterday, the governor signed a cell phone bill requiring Ohio school leaders to publish a clear, specific-to-the-district cell phone usage policy for students and parents to understand.
Gov. Mike DeWine is pushing for school leaders to reduce the distractions caused by texting, gaming and social media when they’re in the classroom.
“Our school children currently face countless distractions every day from the devices in their pockets,” said Gov. DeWine. “By limiting these distractions, we will reestablish the opportunity for students across Ohio to immerse themselves in their classwork, learn from their teachers, and create lifelong memories with their closest friends.”
Now it’s required by the state to emphasize limiting cell phone use in the classroom, unless they’re being used for instruction.
How will it work?
“Local school districts will create the policies that work best in their environments and for their students, but the core mission of this bill is clear: minimize screen time during school time,” Governor DeWine added. “Not only is this time precious for the educational development of our children, but we also have a responsibility to safeguard our kids from the nonstop barrage of alerts from the internet and social media that have been proven to be damaging to their mental health.”
School districts will have to adopt these new cell phone policies no later than July 2025.
There are also exceptions in House Bill 250 for students to keep their cell phones regardless of policy if they have to monitor a health condition.
The bill passed unanimously in both the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives.
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