Starting next school year, students in Iowa's school districts will be restricted from using their phones during class time, under a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds Wednesday.
Reynolds was joined in the Iowa Capitol rotunda by students from Des Moines' Hoover High School, Dows, Clarion-Goldfield, Ankeny and Ottumwa. She said students in Ottumwa and at Hoover High have already seen positive results from the implementation of similar bans.
"School attendance rose by 5%, student belonging data increased by 7%," she said. "Anecdotally, I was told that there's been a complete culture shift at Hoover this year — more joy, more camaraderie and much more learning."
In her Condition of the State address in January, Reynolds said the limits were necessary to reduce distractions in the classroom and "give students their best possible chance at success." The law would let school districts adopt more stringent policies, but establishes a baseline restriction for districts across the state.
"I wasn't happy that they were taking away our cellphones, but now I can see that is has really improved our school."Gabe Polich, senior at Hoover High School
Gabe Polich, a senior from Hoover, said the school's ban on cellphones during instructional time improved both his mental health and grades.
"I wasn't happy that they were taking away our cellphones, but now I can see that is has really improved our school," he said.
Reynolds said she understood his initial feelings about the change.
"I want to share a secret with you," Reynolds said. "My grandchildren weren't very happy with me either for talking about taking the cellphone out of school, so I understand your concern about that. They made it very clear to me, as well."
Reynolds also said Ottumwa Community School District, which has a "bell-to-bell" ban in place, has seen a decrease in physical aggression and failing grades among students in 8-12th grade compared to a year earlier.
The district has seen improved classroom engagement, as well as decreased office referrals for behavioral issues since implementing their policy, according to Superintendent Mike McGrory.
“It allowed, first for our students to refocus on their learning, focus on their mental health, and also — and this is so important — building meaningful face-to-face relationships with each other," McGrory said.
Who does the law affect?
As of the 2023-24 school year, 478,692 students were enrolled in Iowa's school districts.
Under the law, the Department of Education would have to develop and distribute sample policies to public school districts, charter schools, accredited nonpublic schools and innovation zone schools by May 1, 2025.
There are exceptions for students with disabilities and students who have individualized education programs. The law allows parents and guardians to petition their child's school district for health-related exceptions.
Schools would also have to update their emergency plans to reflect the new policy.
According to results released this year from the National Center for Education Statistics, more than half of public school leaders believe student academic performance has been affected by cellphone usage. Nearly three-quarters (72%) reported they felt cellphone usage had a negative impact on mental health, and 73% reported a negative impact on their attention span.
In January, the Associated Press reported at least eight states have passed restrictions on school cellphone usage in the past two years, including Minnesota and California.
