Cell, no! After 2 years of debate, schools get months to ban phones

After two years of legislative discussion and debate on the distractions of cell phones in class, Oklahoma schools have months to implement a bell-to-bell ban on devices for students during the upcoming school year.

Senate Bill 139, signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in May, also prohibits the use of smartwatches, smart headphones, personal laptops, tablets and smart glasses.

The bill’s Senate author, Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, said the legislation transformed from a voluntary pilot program when she first introduced it in the 2024 session to the statewide ban now in place.

“I thought it would take two to three years and I’d come with data and then I’d have to really convince people,” Seifried said. “But I think there’s some momentum nationally and even in Europe, they’re banning some of their phones in schools as well.”

Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, who co-authored SB 139, said a two-day legislative study in fall 2024 provided the evidence to advance a statewide policy for banning cell phones during the school day. Presenters discussed both academic studies and the experiences of school districts that already had cell phone bans.

“When you combine the real-life stories and examples that we’ve seen here in Oklahoma with those larger data points that have been done in a university setting, it paints a pretty clear picture of the benefits of this type of policy,” Caldwell said.

While the bill mentions a bell-to-bell ban, it allows for some leeway in special circumstances. In an emergency, students may use their cell phones, and those who use smart devices to monitor health conditions also have an exception.

Though most districts are on summer hours, the school year is just right around the corner and some schools like Mustang, Tulsa, Pryor and Stillwater have yet to put any policies in place.

Caldwell said he knew the compressed timeline could put additional pressure on schools, but he said the policy was discussed at length in the Legislature and received extensive media coverage. He said clear, consistent and frequent communication from districts to parents, students and staff will be key to successful implementation.

Well before the statewide law, in downtown Oklahoma City, John Rex Charter Schools maintained a cell phone ban, so the policy did not come as a surprise to parents or students, said  Patrick Duffy, superintendent at John Rex. The school cut back on screen time as issues of cyberbullying and social anxiety become more frequent.

“Before, our policy was not districtwide and did not include items like smart watches, tablets or headphones, but very similar with no phones during the day, allowing more time for face-to-face interactions, more time to focus on academics and minimizing cyberbullying,” Duffy said.

For districts with an existing cell phone policy, the new law could mean just a few tweaks to put the bell-to-bell ban in place. Tulsa Public Schools has had a telecommunications policy for several decades, but rolled out a major change last year that put a bell-to-bell ban on devices in elementary and middle schools. It called the policy Phones Away, Just for the Day. High schools phone use was banned only during class. Tulsa’s board has yet to vote on an updated policy for all schools in the district.

Other districts, such as Norman Public Schools, have been planning for months and are taking steps to get staff, students and parents on board.

Courtney Scott, communications director for Norman Public Schools, said their online campaign is called Power Down to Power Up. The district hopes to get students in gear to put down the phones and engage in classrooms, but also wants to be clear on what will happen and why.

Norman began considering a cell phone ban in January as suspicions about the law’s passage intensified, Scott said. Next, principals were asked what needs must be met in order to implement this policy. After collecting feedback from two student groups and a survey sent out to parents, the district began going over the law in detail, assessing the requirements and guidelines. The Norman school board approved the policy in June.

Schools Decide Discipline 

The bill also requires schools to establish their own disciplinary procedures for students found using smart devices.

Oklahoma City Public Schools approved the cell phone ban on June 30 in a 5-1 vote. The lone no vote came from Mike Shelton, a former Democratic state lawmaker. Shelton said he didn’t appreciate the mandate from the Legislature and was worried about discipline being consistent throughout the district.

At Moore Public Schools, students can receive detention the third time they’re caught with a cell phone. For a first violation, the device is taken away and returned to the student at the end of the day. For a second violation, a parent is asked to retrieve the phone during school hours.

John Rex Charter School takes a different approach to discipline.

“No suspension would be involved,” Duffy said. “If we send students home that would defeat our purpose and goal of always having students present in the classroom.”

Equipment Grants Available

In the final weeks of the legislative session, lawmakers approved a $500,000 grant program to help school districts offset the costs of equipment needed to implement the ban. The grant, administered through the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, is taking applications until July 14. Districts must commit to a three-year, bell-to-bell phone ban to qualify for the grants, which will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some districts, such as Oklahoma City Public Schools, have asked their principals and administrators to provide updates on implementation at the end of the calendar year and after spring break in 2026. Similarly, districts that received state grants for equipment such as pouches or lockers will be surveyed on how the bell-to-bell device ban is faring.

The new law allows school districts to keep or modify the bell-to-bell cell phone ban for the 2026-27 school year. Seifried and Caldwell, the bill’s authors, said they hope districts will recognize the benefits of a ban and keep it in place.

“I truly believe the overwhelming majority of districts are going to see some extremely positive results from this and parents will see the benefits not only for their kids but for the school community as a whole with improved interaction, a decrease in behavioral issues and bullying,” Caldwell said.

Seifried said discussions with district officials since the end of the session have been positive. Many superintendents and principals appreciate the law starting with a total ban, as it takes the heat off local officials.

“I’ve talked with school teachers and school board members and superintendents who said, ‘I really, really believe in this policy, but I would get eaten alive if I had to do it. We’d really like the state to be the bad guy, so to speak,’” Seifried said. “That’s why I changed my mind and went to a statewide approach.”

Oklahoma Watch (OklahomaWatch.org) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.