Recently cell phones have raised the question; Should cellphones be allowed in the classrooms? Parents and students have different opinions. Here’s the latest on what Idaho is planning.

On Thursday, the governor of Idaho, Brad Little, signed an order that would restrict cell phones in schools. He plans to give a $5000 grant to those who will follow his plan called the “Phone Free Learning Act”. In a press release Governor Little said, “when kids are more concerned about what’s happening on their phones than they are learning in class, we need to respond. Cell phones and social media present negative effects on young Idahoans’ mental health and their learning environments.”

West Ada school district implemented their new cell phone policy this 2024-2025 school year. It introduced the phone vault to every classroom on Rocky Mountain High school campus. This decision came with some pros and cons. Teachers have expressed their student’s inability to remain focused and their students constantly checking their phones and messages and want to see the removal of cell phones in their classrooms. Parents and students state that they don’t feel comfortable at school with recent school shootings and the growing number of emergencies that they would need to get ahold of their kids during the school day if needed. They also spoke up about the lack of trust in the schools for getting messages relayed to the parents of lockdowns or hall checks or  to their students about changes in after school arrangements.

Cell phones date back to the 1980’s when the first Motorola Dynatac 8000x was first available to the public. Why is banning cellphones in schools at the top of educators priorities? Research shows that cell phones before 2007 didn’t have access to apps and social media wasn’t at our fingertips. Some say that since 2007 and the push for social media is what is causing the distraction of the students.