As Wake County school leaders consider whether to ban mobile devices, several other school districts across North Carolina and the country have either implemented a policy of their own or are considering one.
The group presenting the proposal is worried about mental health and academic issues stemming from mobile device use.
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"We're all not in the moment anymore because we're all in our screens," said former Raleigh City Council Member Nicole Stewart.
Wake County school employees and educators have told WRAL News that cellphones can be distracting during the school day, and they can be used for bullying beyond the school bell.
Many parents don't restrict their children's cellphone use at home, and many want their children to have phones during the school day in case of emergency or to keep tabs on their whereabouts.
Wake County parent Nervahna Crew shared her thoughts on a possible cellphone ban in schools.
"Going as far as a ban on cellphones goes a little too far," Crew said.
The Wake County School Board is not expected to take any action Tuesday night.
In the meantime, WRAL News compiled a list of school districts in North Carolina that have cellphone bans:
Six Chatham County schools to implement cellphone pouch program
Six Chatham County Schools volunteered to use Yondr pouches for the 2024-25 school year. The schools are Seaforth, Jordan Matthews, Chatham Middle, George Moses Horton, Margaret B. Pollard Middle School and ONE Academy.
Yondr is a company that uses pouches to create phone-free spaces for artists, educators, organizations and individuals.
By mid-August, Chatham County Schools plans to provide parents and students more detailed information about the pouches and the expectations for use.
Warren County Schools orders 1,000 pouches
Warren County Schools ordered 1,000 Yondr pouches for students to use during the 2024-25 school year. The district spent $30,150 on the pouches, according to public documents.
Charlotte-Mecklenurg Schools cracks down on phone usage
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is among the districts in North Carolina that vowed to crack down on cellphone usage starting in the 2023-24 school year.
The district’s cell phone ban leaves it up to each principal’s discretion; they can be used between classes or lunch but during the instructional day, students are not be allowed to use their phones during class time.
Rock Hill Schools bans phone usage entirely
The new policy that started in the 2023-24 school year at Rock Hill Schools bans personal cell phones from being out. Cellphones aren't allowed to be used at all, even between classes.
Burke County Schools
In 2022, Burke County Schools adopted their cellphone policy. Student cell phones are not allowed in classrooms during instruction time, unless they are being used for instructional purposes.
The policy gives teachers authority to confiscate cell phones and turn them over to parents at the end of the school day.
NC Senate bill would fund study on cellphone policies in schools
On April 4, state Sens. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, and Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, Lee and Sampson, filed Senate Bill 485.
The bill calls for a study on cellphone policies in schools throughout North Carolina.
Specifically, the study would collect and analyze:
- Whether the policy is implemented by the governing board of the public school system or at the individual school level.
- What the cell phone policy is, and specifically if the school uses any of the following policies:
- Complete ban on cell phone use or possession at school.
- Storage of cell phones in a secure location during the instructional day.
- No cell phone restrictions.
72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom
Pew Research Center conducted a study from Oct. 17, 2023 – Nov. 14, 2023, and found 72% of high school teachers say that students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom, compared with 33% of middle school teachers and 6% of elementary school teachers.
Overall, 82% of K-12 teachers in the U.S. say their school or district has a cellphone policy of some kind. Middle school teachers (94%) are especially likely to say this, followed by elementary (84%) and high school (71%) teachers.
A C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents to rate their level of concern about a variety of health topics.
The leading concerns rated by parents as a big problem for children and teens are presented below.
2023 Top 10 Child Health Concerns for Parents:
- Overuse of devices/screen time (67%)
- Social media (66%)
- Internet safety (62%)
- Depression/suicide (57%)
- Bullying (53%)
- Stress/anxiety (52%)
- Unhealthy diet (52%)
- Costs of healthcare/health insurance (50%)
- School violence (49%)
- Smoking/vaping (48%)