Kansas just told students to power down all day
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Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed a statewide ban on the use of cellphones and other personal devices during the entire school day, forcing KC-area districts to rewrite rules.
Why it matters: The new law extends beyond class time to include lunch, recess and passing periods. Local districts now have to figure out how to store devices, enforce the rules and absorb the costs.
Zoom in: Starting this fall, the law will require Kansas public and private schools to keep students from using electronic devices from the first bell to the last.
- This includes phones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds and other personal communication devices.
- The law allows exceptions for individualized education programs (IEPs), 504 plans and physician-approved medical needs. It does not apply to school-issued devices or virtual learning.
- Districts are left to decide how to enforce the rules, including what will happen when students break them.
What they're saying: Kelly called the law a "commonsense approach" to reduce distractions and address the effects smartphones and social media have on students' academic performance, learning environments and mental health.
- Shawnee Mission School District spokesperson Kristin Babcock tells Axios the district will comply, but "we are disappointed in the outcome of this legislation."
- "We do anticipate this will require financial costs and costs of instructional time," Babcock says, adding the district is in the early planning stages.
Blue Valley, Olathe and Shawnee Mission officials said in January the policy could undermine local control and create "unfunded mandates," according to the Johnson County Post.
- A Blue Valley Southwest student journalist wrote that the changes will be "extremely costly" and that it's "essentially impossible to do this well," pointing to challenges in collecting and returning phones.
Zoom out: Kansas joins Missouri and other states tightening school phone rules.
- Missouri's law took effect at the start of this school year, and more than 20 states moved last year to limit student phone use.
What's next: Schools must adopt policies and certify them with the Kansas State Board of Education by Sept. 1 before the ban takes effect for the upcoming school year.