DOVER, DE- Delaware lawmakers are taking aim at cell phone use in schools after the House passed Senate Bill 106 on Tuesday, a move many community members and school leaders say is needed to address the growing problem of phones in classrooms.
The bipartisan measure would require all school districts and charter schools to adopt and enforce policies regulating student cell phone use during school hours. Policies must set clear rules for acceptable use, limit phones during instruction, designate times and places for use, and establish consequences for violations. They also must promote communication among schools, parents, and students, and allow exceptions for emergencies or for medical and educational accommodations.
House officials say the bill stems from the Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force, which identified cell phones as a classroom disruption.
Dr. Steven Lucas, superintendent of Lake Forest School District, said cell phone use is a growing problem, with students of all ages often glued to their phones in hallways and classrooms.
"It's been a long evolution with the, you know, the cell phones becoming almost an extension of everybody's hands over time. And, certainly as cell phones have become more prominent in our culture, they have become, you know, something that can be somewhat of a distraction and almost an addiction in some cases."
At Lake Forest High School, a cell phone policy is already in place, but Lucas said the new bill gives districts the authority and flexibility to tailor policies to their schools' needs.
"The great thing about this bill in particular is that it empowers the school districts to have some policies in place, so we get the backing of the state on this. And it also gives us the flexibility to implement the bill, implement the law as we really feel like makes the most sense for us," he said.
Nefertari Anyika, a Camden neighbor who works with children, said the bill is needed to help students focus and limit phone distractions, which she says are hurting learning.
"We need our kids back in, full attention. So I think it's amazing that they are doing this."
Michele Klippert, a grandmother from Dover, said she has seen firsthand how cell phones distract students, and said schools need policies to address the problem, especially as Delaware faces a literacy crisis.
"Even for my grandchildren, when I shut that, put that pause button on, they finally start to listen. So I feel that that's, you know, a very good thing to have in school because they're not listening when they're on their phones."
Adam Bernard, a senior at Caesar Rodney High School, said phones are distracting in class and that enforceable policies could immediately improve learning and the classroom environment.
"Learning wise, it's 100% going to pay off immediately because you know you're going to be able to pay more attention in class."
The bill now returns to the Senate for final approval after being amended in the House.