As proposed, Senate Bill 158 would allow schools to make exceptions for students who have a health concern that needs monitored, according to the legislature’s nonpartisan analysis of the bill.
Eight months ago, Ohio mandated that all public schools adopt a cellphone policy to reduce screentime and cellphone distractions. That policy saw local districts like Beavercreek, Centerville and Kettering clamp down on cellphone usage, this news outlet found.
In districts that actually instituted all-out bans, DeWine said schools have been transformed: lunch rooms are noisy again, socialization is up, grades and attendance have improved, and communication between students and teachers has improved.
“As we’ve looked at this and what has happened, and have seen the great, great results from the schools that have actually banned cellphones, I think the jury has really returned on this issue,” DeWine said.
Senate Education Committee Chair Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, who will be tasked with vetting the bill, told reporters Tuesday that he expects the bill to move swiftly through the legislature. Timken said there’s a possibility it may be added to the state’s massive operating budget bill, which must be passed before the end of June.
In a statement to this outlet, Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said his union “appreciates the opportunity to have thoughtful discussions around what our students need to succeed in Ohio’s public schools, including ways to reduce the distractions that cellphones can cause in our classrooms.”
DiMauro said his top priority, for now, is on getting more money for public schools into the state budget.
A recent review by this news outlet of area school policies found most local school districts already require students to keep their cellphones, personal laptops and headphones, among other devices, out of sight during the school day.
A handful of schools, including Dayton Public and Fairborn, use Yondr pouches, which lock the student’s phone in a magnetic pouch during the day that kids unlock with a special key.
Staff writer Eileen McClory contributed to this report.
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