Kansas eyes phone ban like Missouri, but kids are split
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Kansas lawmakers are weighing a phone ban in public schools, following Missouri's ban, which went into effect at the beginning of the school year in August.
Why it matters: State bans are part of a national push to crack down on phones in schools, with local districts touting positive outcomes while kids remain mostly opposed.
What's inside: The Kansas Senate bill would prohibit students from using personal devices between the start of the school day and dismissal, requiring that devices be turned off and inaccessible.
- Exceptions include individual learning plans and traveling between learning locations not on school grounds.
- The bill has bipartisan support from two-thirds of the Senate, per the Johnson County Post.
Flashback: On the Missouri side, Kansas City Public Schools told Axios the year had a "very positive" start.
- Independence School District, which enacted its own ban in 2019, has not seen an increase in phone ban violations, public relations director Megan Dillard tells Axios.
- In other districts, administrators have noticed students talking to each other more instead of staring at screens in silence.
Yes, but: Teens are mostly against phone bans covering the entire school day, with 73% opposing and just 17% supporting such bans, a new national Pew Research Center survey finds.
- They're more evenly divided on banning cellphones only during class, with 51% opposing and 41% supporting.
- That's based on survey results from 1,458 U.S. teens aged 13-17 conducted Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, 2025, through Ipsos.
The other side: Adults are much more supportive of phone bans, with nearly three-quarters saying in a prior survey that middle and high schoolers shouldn't be allowed to use their devices during class.
What's next: The Kansas bill was referred to committee for review on Tuesday. If the bill passes, the ban will go into effect Sept. 1.