A Bill Banning Cell Phones in Schools Died in the Legislature. If the Governor Takes It Up, the Details are Going to Matter.

When we interviewed candidates in Bend and Redmond for the recent school board elections, one thing was almost unanimous: they, like many teachers, are in favor of having strong policies in place that restrict the use of cell phones in schools. There were some nuances in candidates’ arguments — such as a consideration for those with special needs, or making some exceptions for those who are caregivers for younger siblings — but by and large, the candidates running for school board reflected similar views of many parents and educators we’ve talked to: Cell phones are a distraction in school, and they are doing more social and mental harm than good.

This past week, a bill that would have mandated Oregon school districts to ban cell phones in schools died in the Senate Education Committee. That might have taken the wind out of the sails of some who wanted to see more support come from the highest levels of state government — but as it turns out, the momentum around the issue isn’t dead just yet. Gov. Tina Kotek, in the wake of the committee’s decision, has indicated she may sign an executive order banning phones in schools.

Should she do that, she should heed some of the concerns that were raised in the committee that caused the bill to die.

Some lawmakers argued that the bill that was before that Senate committee was too restrictive to make it realistic. The bill called for phones to be banned from the first bell in the morning to the last bell in the afternoon. That means that students, some of whom have jobs or who care for younger siblings, would have no way, during lunch or break times, to check in with the needs of life outside school.

While it’s true that many districts in the state already have policies in place that have begun to ban phones in schools, those policies are still new, and districts thus far — as we have heard from school board members and teachers — have struggled to implement uniformity in enforcement across various classrooms. Many educators have indicated that a statewide, uniform policy would offer the kind of “teeth” that districts need to make the policy enforceable across schools and individual classrooms. That can be a functional role of government: to set a tone and establish a kind of uniformity for all to follow. Oregon educators are crying for help on this important issue, and state government should do what it can to support that call.

There may well be another chance for lawmakers to codify this in the legislature during another session — but in the meantime, if the governor takes it up as an executive order, let’s hope she has more attention to detail — heeding some of the concerns about day-long bans and offering leeway for certain students, for example — than we are currently seeing with the sloppy executive orders from the federal administrative branch.

This article appears in Source Weekly May 29, 2025.