Phones Down, Grades Up: Would this Proposed Bill have Intended Effects in Classrooms?

Wyoming schools may soon be hanging up on cellphone use in the classroom. In a newly proposed bill (Senate File 21 – Ban on cell phone use in schools) sponsored by Sen. Wendy Schuler (R-Evanston) and co-sponsored by Reps. Ken Clouston, Landon Brown and J.T. Larson, student use of smartphones would be barred across the state. At least 20 of Wyoming’s 48 school districts currently have some sort of cellphone policies in place, but under this bill, a flexible state-wide policy would be implemented by July 1, 2025.

Dial in: If this bill goes through, Wyoming will be joining almost 20 other states that have taken state-wide steps to either reduce or eliminate student cellphone use in schools. The proposed bill has a large following of supporters, including educators, Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, and Governor Mark Gordon. Aside from the obvious distraction that phones in the classroom cause; they are also used as a means to bully other students and share content that is far from school-appropriate. This is one of many bills that will be brought forward in the upcoming legislative session, and we’ll keep you in the know with any relevant updates.