Ohio Senate passes bill banning students using cellphones during school day

Ohio students are one step closer to being banned from using cellphones during the school day.

The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 158 by a vote of 30-2 during Wednesday’s Senate session. The bill would require schools to create a policy banning students from using cellphones during the school day. Ohio state Sens. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, and Beth Liston, D-Dublin, voted against the bill, which now goes to the Ohio House for consideration. 

Ohio Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Township, introduced the bill about a month ago. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was quick to voice his support for it, saying last month that “we need to be sure that our classrooms, frankly, are now cellphone free.”

“This legislation is a common sense approach to unplug our children from the constant flow of distractions during the vital school time in which they are in the classroom,” Timken said during Wednesday’s Senate session. “It will boost in-person relationships and reduce distractions.” 

A 2024 Pew Research study reported 72% of U.S. high school teachers said cellphone distraction is a major problem in classrooms. Students receive nearly 200 alerts per day on their cellphones, according to Statista.

Ohio law currently requires all school districts to have a policy for student cellphone use by July 1. Some schools already ban cellphones while other schools limit cell phone use to only certain times of the day. S.B. 158 would take the law a step further by banning the use of cellphones in school.

School districts would have to ban cellphones in school by Sept. 1, according to the bill. 

“The facts are clear, school districts that have restricted student cellphone use during the instructional day have seen a return to noisy classrooms, fostering real face-to-face conversations and relationships,” Timken said. “Eliminating cellphones in schools leads to improved academic performance and allows them to develop academically and socially and thrive.”

State Sen. Catherine D. Ingram, D-Cincinnati, echoed Timken’s comments. 

“There are distractions, and we need to make sure that when our children are in school, they are learning,” she said. 

There are some exceptions to the bill. A school board can allow a student to use a cellphone to monitor a health concern if the board receives a written statement from the student’s doctor. 

The bill also requires public school administrators to include protocol addressing cellphone use during an active shooter situation in the emergency management plan for each building. 

At least 21 states require school districts to ban or restrict students’ cellphone use in schools, according to Education Week. Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Utah have a statewide restriction. 

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