A soon-to-be new law requires that all public and charter schools have a “bell to bell” policy that bans the use of cellphones and other electronic devices during class time.
The policy change, which would take effect at the start of the 2027-2028 school year, passed the legislature this spring. It is billed as a way to minimize student distractions. It also follows years of frustration among educators who must compete with screens for students’ attention.
The bill would ban cell phone use in elementary and middle schools throughout the school day but give districts the option of restricting high school use only during instruction time.
While maintaining student focus has been a challenge for years, the rise of technology has exacerbated the problem.
“In my research, I spoke with some of my constituents who happen to be teachers, who told me to pass something like [SB 2427],” said sponsor Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) in an interview. She said the bill will provide relief for frustrated educators.
“Students often walk into my class and immediately pull out their phones, even when they know they are not supposed to.” said Ashley Kolovitz, director of digital learning & innovation at Lake Forest Academy, a private school that, while not covered under the legislation, has created its own policy to limit devices during instruction time. Their new policy strictly forbids students from having cellphones in academic buildings.
“Sometimes, I have to stop and collect them at the start of class if it keeps happening. That tells me it is not just a rule issue, it is a behavior pattern," Kolovitz said.
The concern isn’t lost on students.
“I can see why Illinois is banning phones in class because I know a lot of kids use their phones to play games during class. It is just annoying to have a full ban because sometimes I like to listen to music while working or use it after I have finished my work.” said Evrim Tabag, an incoming junior at Rochester High School.
Several studies show that access to cellphones during class can bring down test scores and cause distractions during classes. Rutgers University research found that students who attended classes where the phones were permitted during lessons performed worse on final exams than students that banned them.
Additionally, a Pew Research Center poll found 72% of teachers said students being distracted by phones is a large problem.
The main objection to prohibiting the devices during much of the school day have come from parents and guardians who want to be able to reach their children in case of an emergency.
But oftentimes, students having phone access during those moments can be more harmful than helpful.
“In an emergency, law enforcement wants students to be focused on the crisis plan and not putting themselves in danger trying to do things like take videos of the event for social media,” said Sen. Castro.
The legislation carves out exceptions for students who need phones for medical reasons.
“Eliminating distractions in the classroom is the first step in ensuring each student has access to the most quality education possible,” Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) said. “As a former school board member and educator, I saw firsthand how much of a disturbance cellphones can be in the classroom for students and teachers alike.”
Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to sign the measure which he proposed during his State of the State Address.
Several schools already have phone policies in place. Those can continue, but they will soon need to be replaced if they fail to meet the rules laid out in the legislation. The bill states that implemented plans will be reviewed every three years to determine their effectiveness and make changes.
