DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (KYW) -- Pennsylvania is the latest state to ban cellphones in school classrooms, a move lawmakers say is intended to limit classroom interruptions and help kids focus on their education.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Lenape Middle School in Doylestown on Monday, Oct. 26, to sign into law the bipartisan bill banning mobile devices during school hours.
Standing behind a podium marked with the words "getting distractions out of the classroom," Shapiro was joined by students and teachers in the Central Bucks School District, state senators and representatives for the Bucks County area, and members of PA Unplugged, a nonprofit that has called for policies that limit students' screen time.
The Pennsylvania Senate passed the bill and presented it to Shapiro on Thursday, Oct. 22.
The bill contains exceptions for special occasions like field days and science fairs, students learning English who use a phone for translations, students on individualized education plans that require a device, and students with a medical condition that requires them to use a device.
Many individual schools already have cellphone policies, including one Philadelphia school that seals students' devices in Yondr pouches — like the ones you might see at a concert.
Under the bill, districts will be responsible for drafting and implementing their own policies that must prohibit the devices from being used on school property.
Schools will then send their plans to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for review, with the ban officially taking effect in schools for the 2027-28 school year.
Shapiro said he has heard concerns from teachers and students about phone usage in schools.
"They would talk to me about how they would too easily get caught up in these addictive algorithms that are forcing them to be on their phone screens a whole lot more and not learning," Shapiro said. "It would stop the focus, it would stop the ability of students to build natural relationships, and would make it all much, much harder during the school day."
Shapiro called for the ban in his annual budget address in February.
Two students who weren't fans of the ban? Shapiro's youngest two children, who are still in high school. One is a senior and the other a sophomore.
"Man, did I hear it when I got home that day," Shapiro said. "They were not happy with us, and they were afraid that maybe their school leader was going to hear about this and implement a ban when the school year started. And guess what? They did. My kids reported that some of their buddies were giving them a hard time about who their dad was.
"It allows them to be able to learn and just focus on their studies, focus on their friends and have a good time as they should ... I do want to report that my kids have stopped complaining and we have seen this work really, really well," he added.
Critics of the bill have raised the safety issue — how will parents get in touch with their kids quickly if there is an incident at school, like a school shooting?
Shapiro responded to that criticism.
"I don't think we should accept the premise that a student having a phone in their hand makes schools any safer," he said, also noting schools have security plans in place. "What we need is comprehensive gun reform in this commonwealth and in this country."
Pennsylvania is the latest state in the region to pass a law on cellphones in schools.
Delaware doesn't have an outright ban on cellphones in schools, but last year passed a law requiring districts to adopt their own policies about cellphone use, with a goal of limiting their use during class time.
New Jersey passed a school cellphone ban in January; it took effect at the beginning of this school year.
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