The Ohio Senate passed a measure to bar cell phones in the Buckeye State’s K-12 schools.
Senate Bill 158 bars students from using cell phones in public schools during the school day.
The move comes as school districts across Ohio have seized the opportunity to ban cell phones following the enactment of a law last year. That law, House Bill 250, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed in May 2024, required local districts to consider policies to address the use of cell phones in schools.
“Our students have more connection with the phone they’re holding than the classmate next to them,” Timkin said in a release. “This legislation ensures that we are plugging our kids into a brighter future by unplugging them from their phones. I’m grateful to the rest of my colleagues for recognizing the need to address this issue for all Ohio students.”
In a post to X, DeWine lauded lawmakers for acting.
“I commend the Ohio Senate for passing Senate Bill 158, a significant step forward in enhancing students’ focus and well-being in the classroom,” DeWine said in the post.
“By prohibiting cell phone use during school hours, this legislation aims to reduce distractions, limit cyberbullying, and foster better interpersonal relationships among students,” DeWine added. “I look forward to the House’s consideration of this bill and the positive impact it will have on Ohio’s children.”
In March, the governor called for lawmakers to ban cell phones in schools.
“It’s clear that we need to get cell phones out of our classrooms,” DeWine said in a release at the time. “The constant distraction of cell phones makes it nearly impossible for students to focus and learn. Not only do they negatively impact student performance, but they can also be harmful to kids’ mental and emotional health.”
Proponents of the earlier measure said it has netted positive results, as school districts have seen an uptick in student engagement, attendance, grades, and “socialization.” WSYX-TV, citing Department of Education and Workforce numbers, reported that more than 60% of Ohio’s schools have implemented a policy banning cell phones.
“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,” the Ohio Capital Journal quoted Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Township, as saying. “Eliminating cellphones in schools leads to improved academic performance and allows them to develop academically and socially and thrive.”
The measure now heads to the Ohio House for consideration.
However, some parents have expressed concerns about the legislation, saying phones could be needed in an emergency.
“A phone is a lifeline, not just a distraction,” WLWT-TV quoted Mary Alleger, an Ohio mother.
“The debate over banning cell phones in schools — while gun violence remains unchecked — is more than just a distraction; it’s a grotesque failure of moral priorities,” Alleger added, per the station’s report. “In a country where gunfire has replaced fire drills as a classroom reality, stripping students of their primary means of survival is not just illogical — it’s unconscionable.”
A WSYX-TV report indicated that at least some school districts prepare for emergency situations without making cell phones a part of their plans.
“We now do active shooter drills on a regular basis,” the station quoted Dublin City School District Superintendent Dr. John Marschhausen. “At each step along the way, our staffs’ response, our communication with first responders and the steps we are taking to keep kids safe, don’t include the children having cell phones. It clogs and slows the process. In any situation, if students are given direction on where to go, them looking down at their phones slows the process.”
