Georgia is one step closer to joining a growing list of states that are banning students from using cellphones during the school day.
Members of the Georgia House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that would prohibit public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade from using cellphones during the school day. If the Senate also gives its stamp of approval, districts statewide will have to figure out how they plan to enforce the ban, which would affect more than 1 million kids.
House Bill 340 means “bell to bell, no cell,” said the bill’s sponsor State Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners.
“If it’s not safe enough to drive with these,” Hilton said, holding up his cellphone at a committee hearing in February about the bill, “I don’t think it’s safe enough or productive enough to be in schools while you’re trying to learn calculus (or) English.”
The bill, called the Distraction-Free Education Act, would prohibit public school students from accessing personal electronic devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, tablets and headphones, during the school day. Students with disabilities or a medical need would be allowed to access their devices. The rules would go into effect in July 2026.
School systems may purchase cellphone pouches that stay with students but can only be unlocked by staff, put cellphone lockers in classrooms or designate a place for students to put their devices, or implement another way to prevent students from accessing their devices.
Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC
Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC
A number of schools in metro Atlanta — including Midtown High School, middle schools in Marietta and a selection of schools in DeKalb County — have been testing out cellphone bans this year. So far, they like it.
Parents, administrators and teachers have reported that kids are more engaged and are having fewer behavior problems during the school day. Students have mixed feelings about the new rules.
At least eight states — including California, Florida and South Carolina — have enacted measures banning or restricting students’ use of cellphones in schools, The Associated Press reported. More than a dozen more are currently considering a ban.
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