JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The quickly approaching new school year serves as an opportunity to remind students and parents of legislation recently passed in Florida, which bans cellphone use for elementary and middle school students during the entire school day.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cellphone ban for Florida elementary, middle school students during school day goes into effect
House Bill 1105, signed into law July 1, prohibits wireless communication devices from “bell to bell,” aiming to minimize distractions and create a better learning environment, lawmakers say.
High school students are not included in the ban - yet.
As local districts already have cellphone policies in place, these typically require phones to be turned off and kept out of sight unless permission is granted to use them.
Under the new bill, six school districts—two small, two medium, and two large—will participate in a pilot program to test a similar ban for high school students during the entire school day.
The districts, which haven’t been revealed yet, must report their findings by the end of 2026.
High school students shared mixed opinions about the potential phone ban.
“I think it would be a good asset,” high school student Lexie Boivin said. “Just because I think social media is just such a big problem.”
On the other hand, another high school student, Brooke Lima, expressed concerns.
“I don’t think we should ban it, which probably a lot of people do, but I don’t think we should ban it because if you’re in a classroom and have no friends, sometimes it’s just easier to go on your phone and not feel so anxious about things,” Lima said. “And if you need help, you can talk to, like, your parents or friends.”
Meanwhile, the state of Georgia recently passed a similar phone ban law for public school students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The bell-to-bell ban will take effect no later than July 1, 2026, or the 2026-2027 school year.