Bill banning cellphone use during class time clears Senate committee

Legislation that would prohibit public school students from using cellphones and other wireless communication devices during class time cleared a Senate committee Tuesday and soon could be considered by the full Senate.

It’s a policy change that Gov. JB Pritzker called for in his State of the State address in February and one that has been gaining popularity in recent years nationwide.

According to the health policy website KFF.org, at least nine other states have adopted statewide policies limiting or banning the use of cellphones in schools. Elsewhere, even in the absence of a statewide policy, individual districts have begun acting on their own, including Peoria Public Schools, which implemented its own ban this year.

“This policy has proven effective in reducing distractions, enhancing student focus and better fostering social interaction,” Peoria Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat told the committee. “Our data indicates it has also contributed to reducing ... bullying and physical fighting, thus creating a safer environment for students.”

Senate Bill 2427, sponsored by Sen. Christina Castro of Elgin, would require all school boards to adopt policies prohibiting the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time. That would include any wireless device such as cellphones, laptops, tablets and gaming devices that can provide voice, messaging or other data communication between two or more parties.

However, it would not include school-issued devices or devices that students are required to possess or use for educational purposes.

The district policies would, at a minimum, prohibit the use of those devices during instructional time. But the policies also would have to allow exceptions that allow students to use them during emergencies or in response to an imminent threat to someone’s health or safety.

The policies also must provide exceptions if the devices are needed as part of an individual educational plan for a student with disabilities, or if they are needed for medical care.

The new policies would have to be in place in time for the 2026-27 academic year.

Castro said she’s aware that some districts already have adopted policies that are stricter than the standards set forth in the bill, while other districts have not yet adopted any type of limitation on cellphone use.

At Elgin Area School District U-46 — the state’s second-largest district headquartered in Castro’s hometown — middle and high school students have been barred from accessing their cellphones during class time since the 2019-20 school year. It was prompted by a districtwide shift to personal computing devices for all students. That guidance has been expanded too all students.

According to the U-46 Student Handbook, cellphones are not to be used during school hours in school buildings. Students are allowed to use cellphones only before entering or after leaving school buildings, or as directed by staff. Cellphones must be turned off and kept either in a backpack or locker.

Arlington Heights-based Northwest Suburban High School District 214 also prohibits the use of cellphones and other electronic devices in academic spaces.

Cellphones must be put away, turned off or silenced during instructional time unless a teacher grants permission or if use of the device is provided for in a student’s Individualized Education Program, 504, or health plan, or is needed during an emergency. Use of cellphones is permitted in common areas such as the cafeteria, hallways, and media center, according to the district’s website.

And in St. Charles Unit District 303, an advisory group of district employees, families and community members has been helping develop a comprehensive procedure for student use of cellphones and personal devices. Their efforts aim to move District 303 toward phone-free classrooms, possibly starting next school year.

The proposed state legislation aims to standardize this piecemeal approach by districts.

“This is a floor,” Castro said. “So if school districts want to get more aggressive, like saying they don’t want elementary school students to have cellphones, they can. But again, this is the floor. The reason this policy is coming forward is because not everyone’s been creating this policy. This sets a standard that all school districts have to follow.”