At many Wyoming schools, district-wide policies eliminate the ever-alluring distraction of social media notifications, text messages or Tiktok scrolling by barring smartphone use in the classroom.  But not all. At least 18 of the state’s 48 districts — and likely more — have no cellphone policies, according to data collected recently by the Wyoming School Boards Association. To be clear, the lack of district-wide policies hasn’t stopped some schools in those districts from adopting specific rules.   But the legality of cellphones in Wyoming schools could become more uniform with the passage of Senate File 21 – Ban on cell phone use in schools. The bill would require Wyoming districts to adopt policies prohibiting cellphone use in classrooms by July 1.  Bill sponsor Sen. Wendy Schuler (R-Evanston) was motivated, she said, by a common teacher complaint that policing phone use has become a classroom nightmare. “I’ve kind of been hearing this from both administrators and staff that the biggest roadblock a lot of them see is the use of cell phones with the kids,” said Schuler, a former teacher. “They really struggle trying to keep [students] on task, because their focus is on their phones. It’s so distracting.” Though she generally favors local control, Schuler said, overwhelming support among educators who want a consistent rule fueled the bill. If SF 21 passes, Wyoming would join a growing and bipartisan trend of new limits on smartphone and social media use in schools. Nearly 20 states, including California, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Florida, have passed laws or enacted policies that either ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones or recommend local districts enact such policies.  A high school girl on her cellphone. (Dick Thomas Johnson/FlickrCC) In September, Gov. Mark Gordon and Wyoming’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder penned a joint letter urging Wyoming schools to follow suit. “We are increasingly concerned that in too many schools unchecked student cell phone usage during instruction time poses a significant threat to both the educational experience and the mental well-being of our students,” the letter read.  The Wyoming School Boards Association believes local school districts should have community conversations to determine the best path for their schools on this issue, Executive Director Brian Farmer said. That said, the organization appreciates that SF 21 allows for rules to be tailored to community needs. “We know that many communities will be in favor of restrictions and believe that reduced use will generally be beneficial to student well-being,” Farmer said. Cellphone police  Senate File 21, which is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Ken Clouston, Landon Brown and J.T. Larson, would give school boards until July 1 to adopt policies. The bill makes room for exceptions like emergencies or health reasons. Schuler said she’s heard from educators around the state who have been trying to crack down on smartphone use in classrooms but are experiencing significant pushback from students and their parents. The bill could fortify those local efforts.  Evidence is mounting to support the observation that cellphones in classrooms can be severely detrimental to education.  Some 72% of high-school teachers report that students being distracted by their cellphones in the classroom is a major problem, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center analysis of classroom challenges. Distraction and compulsive use aren’t the entire problem, either, as students use their phones to bully, share inappropriate videos and record fights in the hallways.  In light of Gordon and Degenfelder’s endorsement of classroom cellphone bans, the Wyoming School Boards Association recently surveyed districts to learn how many district policies exist. Of the 38 districts that responded, 20 reported having official policies.  Riverton High School culinary arts teacher Kelli Gard wheels out a cellphone caddy when she greets students at the door so they can deposit their phones before they enter class. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile) One of the newest districts with a policy is Fremont County District 25. At that district’s largest high school in Riverton, Principal Thomas Jassman helped usher in a policy this fall.  Students can either hand in their phones at the classroom door or stow them away. Penalties for breaking the rule escalate with parental notification and device confiscation, with repeat offenders eventually having to turn in their phones every morning to administrators. Students can use their phones during lunch and outside of the classroom.  Riverton High School teachers are fans of the rule, they told WyoFile. Students are more engaged, managing a classroom is more efficient and overall focus is better, they said. Jassman has also observed a decline in “student drama,” which he attributes to kids having fewer opportunities to post mean things or engage in cyberbullying.  It took a little while for everyone to get used to the new normal, Jassman said, but “I think it’s been pretty effective.” That makes sense, Schuler said. When talking to teachers about cellphones, “I actually had a couple of them tell me, ‘this is going to be the thing that’s going to drive me out of education,’” she said.  “I’m all about having our Wyoming students be the best they can be,” she said. “And I just think the cellphone usage is one of those detriments that if we can put that ban on there, and then let the school districts choose how they want to enforce them, I think it would at least be a step in the right direction for our kids.” The post As more Wyoming schools crack down on cellphones, bill aims at statewide limits appeared first on WyoFile .