Phones Down: New Ohio Law Restricts Cell Phone Usage in Schools

The end of this school year could also be the end of your child’s cell phone usage in schools. This month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 at Karrer Middle School in Dublin. The new law will require every school district in Ohio to establish an official policy governing cell phone usage during school hours and seeks to minimize student use of cell phones in K-12 schools.

Unanimous Legislative Agreement

Governor DeWine called on the Ohio General Assembly to enact legislation limiting cell phone use in schools during his State of the State Address last month.  Lt. Governor Husted has been an advocate for limited cell phone usage in schools and support of parental consent requirements for children to use social media. Lawmakers took up the legislation and the bill passed unanimously in both the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives.

According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the new law, sponsored by former Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) and Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) orders school districts around the state to develop written policies for cell phones on campus. The state education department will provide a model policy that districts may adopt, but are not required to use it as long as they put a policy in place that keeps cell phone use “as limited as possible” districts can do what they like.

Governor Dewine, teachers, and administrators celebrated the new law in a ceremony at Karrer Middle School in the Dublin City Schools district. The Columbus Dispatch reports that Dewine remarked,  “Cellphones in classrooms pose a significant challenge to learning, undermines instruction and exposes our kids to potential harmful content.”

Model Policies Tout Success

John Marschhausen, Dublin City Schools superintendent, thanked the governor and lieutenant governor Wednesday for their work on cell phones, saying that they had taken action just a few months after holding a town hall with educators at Dublin City Schools in March.

“We know that cellphones in our schools are a distraction,” Marschhausen said. “We know that cell phones in our school and the proliferation of social media have a negative impact on the students that we serve.”

Teachers and Parents Emphasize Flexibility

In a press release, Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro applauded the legislation, but he argued teachers — the eventual frontline of whatever policy a district establishes — need to be included in the planning process.

“This law will ensure educators have clear guidance and support while allowing for local flexibility to set policies that will improve learning conditions,” he stated. “Our members must be included in the development of those local policies.”

Some parents do have concerns about how the school policies will affect communication with their children. They do, however, see the value in reducing cell phone usage in schools. Patty Blanchard, President of the Hughes Parent Teacher Association says Hughes STEM High School stopped allowing students to have phones last year and that the policy has been successful in increasing graduation rates and decreasing bullying.

Georgina Opuku, Vice President of the Hughes Parent Teacher Association, said the school phone policies work, but it’s up to each community and school to figure out what works for their own district.

“I think it’s just figuring out how does it work for each demographic and community,” Opuku said. “How do we make sure that it’s a standardized process that makes sense? But also a process that’s fair to all.”