Granger High School students unlock magnetic locking pouches containing their phones after class with a newly-established a phone-free policy on Aug. 26, 2024. (Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch)
Not having a policy on devices in schools is already a policy for the state of Utah, said South Jordan Republican Sen. Lincoln Fillmore. He’s proposing something radically different — a universal cellphone ban in Utah public schools.
Yes, schools are already allowed to establish their own policies related to smart devices. In fact, some institutions already start their school days sealing cellphones in magnetic locking pouches and finish them with a rush of students hurrying to “unlocking” stations. But, Fillmore said what may change with SB178, a bill he introduced this year, is the default setting for cellphone policies in schools.
With much support from public commenters and legislative leadership, the Senate Education Committee voted unanimously to recommend the bill for the full Senate consideration Tuesday afternoon.
Allowing local school districts to decide their stance on the devices is fine, Fillmore said. However, with the current status quo, their default position is to have no restrictions on phones inside schools.
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“The question that (school districts) are asking now is, ‘how can we restrict these devices so we are minimizing the damage that they have on kids’ health and academic performance?’” Fillmore told the committee. “But by passing this bill, we change the default and just change the question that local districts ask in an important way.”
With the new policy, that question, Fillmore said, would shift to “how can we integrate this technology in order to support education and support kids’ health?”
Under SB178 school districts would be required to adopt a policy surrounding cellphone use. If they don’t, phones won’t be allowed during class time. That includes any type of phone that’s capable of transmitting and receiving voice calls, data or texts, not just smartphones, and would extend to personal digital assistant devices and smartwatches.
However, institutions may draft guidelines for when these devices could be allowed in schools, including in case of emergency or to address a medical necessity.
“In schools where this has already been tried, in Utah and across the country, we really see a lot of positive outcomes for students, both academically and related to their health and bullying incidents,” Fillmore said during his presentation.
No pouches contemplated
When Fillmore first spoke publicly about the bill at Granger High School last year, he mentioned a one-time appropriation of $4.8 million to acquire equipment, such as the magnetic locking pouches or other types of lockers, to support storing phones during class time. But, his ultimate proposal has a $0 fiscal note.
Some members of the Public Education Appropriation Subcommittee had expressed little appetite to pay for that equipment in a past meeting. They suggested instead requiring kids to keep their phones in their backpacks.
Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, who’s a teacher, mentioned that locking phones in pouches created issues, because students found ways to forgo the cellphone bans by bringing an additional phone to put in the pouch.
Riebe commended the bill for not being “heavy-handed.” While she said she struggled with creating a universal policy when a lot of students have different needs, she saw several positive factors in the bill and ultimately ended up voting in favor of it.
“I also like this bill because it addresses the fact that you don’t have to take their phones away from them,” she said. “We have lots of kids in Salt Lake County who use their phones as translators, and a lot of our more economically disadvantaged families sometimes have to take care of the little brothers and sisters, and sometimes they have to leave to take care of their brothers and sisters, and that’s how they’re going to contact their older peers to come and get them.”
Some students, school districts and boards rose in support of the legislation, arguing that cellphones bring substantial distractions in class, they also said they exacerbate mental health issues and a lack of connection among students.
“Cyprus High adopted a no-cellphone policy in 2018 and it was a huge process, and it still was a constant battle, but the engagement even on day one of no cellphones in the school, was remarkable,” said Jen Christensen on behalf of Granite School District. “So, we work hard to battle cellphones. It is a battle in the classroom, and we are lucky to have support from our community in pushing no cellphones in school.”
However, a few commenters said they were concerned about government overreach with the bill. And, Sarah Coyne, a professor at Brigham Young University’s School of Family Life, said she was in support of the bill but cautioned lawmakers to wait for the results of research around the impact on cellphones in Utah youth before making policy decisions, since there are currently mixed outcomes in the studies.
“I’m a developmentalist, and so I think it’s interesting that this bill treats 5-year-olds the same as 18-year-olds,” Coyne said. “From a developmental standpoint, we know that they’re dramatically different and have different needs in terms of autonomy, in terms of education, in terms of socially and so on, and so I would love just a little bit more nuance, depending on the school.”
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