Louisiana Parents and students are facing a new law that bans students from using their cell phones while in school. State Senator Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, authored Senate Bill 207 to keep phones from becoming a distraction for both teachers and students. “ Let’s get back to traditional learning and make that the priority instead of making a student feel like his attention is in competition with the phone and the classroom.”
When SB207 was in committee during the legislative session, Mizell says award-winning educators testified that cell phones were among the biggest challenges when trying to keep a student’s attention. “I think that really gave the committee a lot of comfort in supporting the bill, knowing that the teachers saw the value of it.” In fact, 72% of [U.S.] high School teachers say students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem, according to a survey conducted in late 2023 by the Pew Research Center.
As reported by the Louisiana Radio Network (LRN), Mizell says she’s interested to see if the cellphone ban will impact future LEAP scores. The new law requires that devices be stowed away for the entire school day, including lunch hour. The exceptions include a student who has secured an exemption for health reasons, such as a diabetes monitor. And the ban does not apply to students who must use the device for their education, or accommodation.
Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is expected to review and approve the final policy on how to implement the cell phone ban this month. Parents are encouraged to find out the cell phone policy rules and disciplinary actions in their own school district.
Louisiana is among a growing number of states enacting their own cell phone bans at school. According to a May 23, 2024 analysis released by Education Week, at least nine other states have also passed laws or enacted policies than ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones in schools. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.
