A bipartisan bill introduced in Kansas would prohibit students across the state from using cell phones during school hours.
The bill would ban phones during “instructional time,” which would be from the start of the school day until dismissal at the end of the day. During that time, students would have to turn off their phones and store them in a secure, inaccessible location.
If it becomes law, school districts would have to comply by Sept. 1. Districts would have to set their own policies on enforcing the ban and disciplining students who violate it.
Senate leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties are supporting the bill. It has 28 co-sponsors in the Senate, which is 70% of the Senate’s members.
Those who support the ban say it would improve the quality of learning time and help students form more meaningful relationships with their teachers and peers.
“Phone-free schools give students space to think, build authentic human relationships, and protect student mental health from constant digital pressure,” said Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi, a Republican from Andale, in a release.
“The longer phones stay in classrooms, the harder it becomes to undo the damage.”
Some administrators have concerns about potential liability if a student’s phone is stolen or damaged while in the school’s possession. And some parents say they want to be able to quickly reach their children in case of an emergency.
In October 2024, a 36-member task force on screen time recommended to the Kansas Board of Education that school districts ban cell phones. At the time, some task force members expressed concerns about a total ban.
“I need to be able to text my parents … or my boss. If a practice is canceled really last minute, I need to be able to communicate that,” said Ananya Argawal, a student in the Blue Valley district near Kansas City.
The state BOE ultimately opted not to pass any statewide restrictions.
The bill would make an exception for students who need to use a cell phone or similar device as part of their individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan.
It also says licensed physicians can approve a student using a cell phone if it is a “medical necessity to support the health or well-being of the student.” A student with Diabetes may need to use a phone or other device to monitor their blood sugar, for example.
The bill outlines an exception for travel time to and from learning experiences not on school premises. It’s not clear how the bill would apply to open lunch, which lets upperclassmen in some districts, including Wichita, leave the school campus during lunch.
Several current and incoming Wichita school board members have expressed an interest in a potential cell phone ban. Current district policy lets high school students use their phones during passing periods and lunch, with a phone ban from bell to bell in elementary and middle schools.
Amy Warren is an incoming Wichita school board member who has children in the district. She’s advocated for years for changes to policies around screen time in schools.
Warren said when students don’t have cell phones during breaks like lunch or passing periods, it improves their ability to retain and process new information they’ve learned that day in the classroom.
“When we let them get on their phones in between class (periods), we're just kind of wiping that experience and that processing off the board,” she said.
Warren said the change could also reduce student fears about their peers taking their photo or recording them.
“Thinking back about what it would have been like for me, I would have felt very nervous to learn in a class where if I said the wrong thing, it was being recorded,” she said.
“It’s not that every single class, every kid has their phone out. But it does create that pressure in those down moments.”
A separate section of the bill would prohibit school employees from contacting students on social media platforms for official school purposes. It would allow school boards to approve certain exceptions for using social media for official purposes.
Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka on Monday for their annual legislative session. In an emailed statement to KMUW, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called the new proposal a "commonsense bill."
“As leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that our children can learn in a distraction-free environment," Kelly said. "This bipartisan, commonsense bill is a reasonable step to ensure that Kansas students can focus and thrive in the classroom."
