Should Iowa Ban Cell Phones In Schools? Some Lawmakers Say “Yes!”

There is a new piece of legislation for the state of Iowa that could ban one common distraction outright from the classroom.

On Wednesday, February 5th a bill from the desk of Governor Kim Reynolds advanced to the state Senate, according to reports. This bill would force schools to examine their policies regarding the usage of cell phones in the classroom.

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Iowa Legislation Takes Aim at Cell Phones in School

According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 53% of children have a smartphone by eleven years old. Also, 95% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 years have access to a cell phone.

State legislators are pushing forward a proposal that would ban students from using their cell phones during instructional periods during the school day.

 What Would This "Cell Phone" Ban Actually Do?

If this law goes into effect, all schools in the state, including public, charter, and innovation K-12 would have to implement cell phone policies at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year.

In addition, students in the sixth through eighth grades will be required to learn about the dangers/effects of social media.

School districts would have to adopt policies for cell phone use by the start of the next school year. 6th, 7th and 8th graders would also have to learn about the effects of social media as part of the bill.

Iowa Public Radio explains in a report, what the execution of this bill will look like.

The Department of Education must create example policies for schools to follow, and work with the Department of Public Safety to update school emergency plans to take into account the cell phone ban.

Also, the state education department will collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services to study the effects of social media and assist teachers in training on the new coursework.

Another key component of this policy is that schools must have some sort of plan in place for how families can contact their student during school hours in case of an emergency.

Students with disabilities or health issues and need cell phones/personal devices in school would be exempt from the policy, reports confirm.

As the bill works its way through the Iowa legislature, we will keep you updated on whether this bill is passed into law or if it falls flat.

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