Oregon Proposes Crackdown on Smart Phones in Schools

A proposed bill in the Oregon legislature aims to restrict the use of cell phones in schools statewide. The bipartisan bill is intended to cut down on student distractions, social media incidents and other limitations schools are grappling with in an age of cell phone addiction.

While Central Oregon school districts already have certain policies in place that limit the use of electronic devices during the school day, the proposed bill, House Bill 2251, would strengthen those policies, directing school districts to adopt their own policy that “prohibits the use of student personal electronic devices” in schools.

“This is an opportunity to make sure our kids are focused, but also that our teachers feel backed up, that they are not the enforcers, that this is the rule,” said Rep. Emerson Levy (D-OR 53), a sponsor of the bill.

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Local districts, including Bend-La Pine Schools, have begun implementing more restrictive policies over the past three years, according to BLPS Director of Communications Scott Maben. These policies, however, have really ramped up in the last year.

“That’s an acknowledgement that cell phones can be a real source of distraction or disruption to the learning that we’re seeing in our classrooms,” Maben said.

While the overarching policy at BLPS states that phones must be off or silent and away during class periods, the rules slightly differ for elementary, middle and high school students.

Up through middle school, the policy requires that phones are away, stored in lockers, from the morning bell to the end of the day. Sean Keating, principal of Pacific Crest Middle School in Bend, said he’s seen a lot of success with that policy.

“The big thing we’re seeing is that students are not concerned so much with social media, especially the harassment that happens on social media here during the school day. If there is social media stuff going on, it’s after school, it’s not here,” Keating said. “Students can focus more on being kids, being students and learning.”

The high school policy at BLPS is slightly modified – giving students more access outside of class time.

According to Maben, the district allows high school students to access their phones during passing periods and lunch. While the bill, if passed, wouldn’t change much for elementary or middle school students, Maben said the district would most likely need to change its practices at the high school level.

Levy sees local successes with policies as another push for this statewide legislation.

“Several schools have already implemented this, and what I’ve heard from teachers and administrators is that it feels like school again. We’re seeing attendance rise, fights go down,” she said.

While the bill has wide support from teachers and school staff members, some parents are hesitant, citing safety concerns – wanting to be able to reach their children in case of an emergency.

“My daughter will keep her phone with her at all times. I’m not going to rely on the school to notify me if there’s an emergency,” parent Dara Capehart commented on a KTVZ Facebook post that asked parents to weigh in about the use of cell phones in schools.

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Others like the idea of knowing immediately, from their child, if the school is under lockdown, or experiencing other emergencies.

While Levy sympathizes with this view, she noted that kids will often “flood the lines, with messages during emergencies, sometimes giving false information due to the stressful situation.” Other experts, like Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, say that the hundreds of messages going out to parents during a lockdown or emergency situation can be counterproductive.

“When there is a critical incident going on, we don’t need students distracted by their device. We need for them to be locked in on what it is that they’ve learned to do through appropriate drills and listening to their teacher,”
he said.

The bill passed in the Oregon House in early April and was working its way through the Senate as of May 1. While parents and school districts aren’t entirely sure what this bill will look like, when implemented, many are hopeful.

“When the House bill was first proposed, we were so happy,” said Ami Formica, a local mom and co-founder of Well Wired, a local advocacy group aimed at promoting healthier student technology use. “Now, our goal is really to continue to keep that momentum going, because we think it’s in the best interest of our kids and families.”

This article appears in Bend Nest Summer 2025.