Illinois To Implement Mandatory “Bell-To-Bell” Cellphone Ban At Schools

Governor Pritzker's signature will mark a new change in Illinois schools.

Illinois' legislative session just wrapped up but not before Senate Bill 2427 was approved and Governor J.B. Pritzker has said he'll sign it.

The bill mandates that schools K-12 adopt "bell-to-bell" policies that ban cellphone use from the first bell of the day until the dismissal bell.

The governor's office has cited Pew research that found up to 3 in 4 high school teachers reported that cellphone distractions are "a major problem" in instruction. Governor Pritzker said in a statement:

Every parent and educator knows the damage that unchecked screen time and social media can do to our children and how disruptive they can be in school. The bipartisan support for this effort reflects the urgency educators and families across Illinois feel.

Now, there are exceptions to this. One would be if cellphones are necessary for managing health care for students (which would need an "Individualized Education Plan") or when kids are still trying to learn English. Medical exemptions are an option for students who are caregivers for family members.

The Illinois State Board of Education now has until Sept. 1st to make a template policy for wireless communication devices. That template is intended to help schools implement their own specific policies.Several Illinois school districts have come up with their own phone bans already. This measure is laid out based on Chicagoland districts Elgin School District U-46 and Hinsdale School District 86

A lot of states (including Iowa) have passed legislation like this that bans cellphone use during instructional time.