BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong, First Lady Kjersti Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden today joined state legislators, education and student representatives, and others in announcing support for new legislation designed to improve learning and well-being by requiring public schools to adopt policies that require students’ cell phones to be securely stored during the school day.
“We want to give something back to students: the freedom to learn and grow in school without the distraction of their personal electronic devices and social media,” Gov. Armstrong said. “Adopting bell-to-bell phone-free school policies will improve academic performance, mental health and well-being and give our students the best chance to reach their full potential, while also allowing teachers to focus more time on instruction instead of distraction.”
Amendments introduced today to Senate Bill 2354 and House Bill 1160 would require all personal electronic communication devices to be turned off, securely locked away and inaccessible to students from the start of the school day until dismissal at the end of the school day. Schools would have flexibility in deciding how to stow the devices, such as secure lockable pouches or phone lockers, with $1.5 million in funding proposed to cover equipment expenses.
“We’ve seen how inconsistent phone policies from school to school and classroom to classroom can create confusion and frustration for students, parents and teachers alike,” said Strinden, who testified in support of the proposal to the House and Senate education committees before this morning’s press conference. “Establishing a baseline with a bell-to-bell phone-free policy will ensure students in every public school have the same opportunity to learn without the distraction of cell phones and social media while in school. This legislation offers a common starting point, not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
The proposal still allows for the use of tablets and other school-issued electronic devices for learning, while also including exceptions for students who need personal electronic devices for medical reasons or as part of an individual education plan, or IEP.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation” and an advisor for the Phone-Free Schools Movement, submitted testimony in support of the proposal, citing research that phone-free schools are likely to reduce distraction and increase student focus.
“Parents and teachers worldwide have seen the damage to students' attention, education and mental health caused by spending much of the school day on their phones, texting, scrolling, posting on social media, watching videos and playing video games,” Haidt said. “Bell-to-bell phone-free school legislation can be implemented at little cost to the schools or the state. I applaud North Dakota for taking this step to drastically improve the educational experience for students.”
Sen. Michelle Axtman of Bismarck, who introduced SB 2354, and Rep. Jim Jonas of West Fargo, lead sponsor of HB 1160, both agreed to fully amend their bills with the phone-free school language. House Majority Leader Mike Lefor and Senate Majority Leader David Hogue also supported the amendments, as did State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler in submitted testimony.
“The most effective way to reverse the negative trends we have been witnessing and start increasing test scores, combating mental health issues, and reducing classroom disturbances is to support our schools and our students by enacting a clear and concise state wide, bell-to-bell device-free policy,” Axtman said in prepared testimony.
Sixteen states have enacted some level of phone-free school policies, and more than two dozen states have policies under consideration, according to anxiousgeneration.com. Last month, Arkansas passed a “Bell to Bell, No Cell Act” requiring public schools to enact policies banning the use of cell phones during the school day.
Addyson Rademacher-Nyame, an eighth-grader at Mandan Middle School, testified in favor of the proposal, calling it “a great start to building healthy habits.”
“If this bill passes many schools could flourish. It will promote in-person conversations, help engage learning and enhance social interactions,” she said in prepared testimony. “As someone who will be directly affected by the outcome of this bill, I would ask you to vote to pass this bill. Please consider this affects not only my generation but all of those that will follow. “