Gov. JB Pritzker signs ban on cellphones for Illinois public school students during class

Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed legislation requiring public schools in Illinois to prohibit students from using cellphones or other mobile devices in classrooms.

The legislation would require the state's roughly 850 public school districts to implement policies by the 2027-28 school year banning the use of cellphones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, smart watches, and other mobile devices.

Pritzker signed legislation on Tuesday morning at Elgin High School, which already has a similar ban in place.

Dr. Suzanne Johnson, superintendent of Elgin School District U-46, said teachers have noticed an improved school climate since their restrictions on cellphones went into place last year.

"Without the distraction of cellphones, students were more engaged, built stronger connections with one another, and once again laughter and chatter filled our hallways, our cafeterias, and our classrooms.," she said. "Teachers told us that they finally felt they had their students back. They were no longer competing with screentime for attention and focus."

According to the governor's office, a recent study by Pew Research found that 72% of high school teachers identified cellphone distraction as a major problem in classrooms.

"Today, I'm proud that Illinois is taking a major step forward in creating classrooms, libraries, and learning environments free from distractions," Pritzker said. "We want to make sure that every hour of school time can have the greatest possible positive impact. We're allowing every child to fully learn, participate, ask questions, and build the skills and interpersonal relationships that they need to thrive."

The legislation requires a "bell-to-bell" ban on cellphones for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. High school students would be allowed to use their phones during lunch and other breaks between classes.

Students at all levels would be allowed for school-issued mobile devices used for educational purposes with their teacher's approval.

Exceptions also would be allowed for emergencies or response to an imminent threat, for cases when a medical professional deems a wireless device is necessary to manage a student's health, if devices are needed as part of a student's individualized education program, to help students for whom English is a second language, or when a student Is a caregiver responsible for the wellbeing of a family member.

The legislation would prohibit schools from enforcing their cellphone bans through fines, fees, suspensions, expulsions, ticketing, or deployment of police officers or school resource officers.

Schools would be required to set up guidelines for storing students' cellphones during the school day to prevent use, loss, or theft.

Districts also would be required to get input from teachers, administrators, and parents before setting policies, and would be encouraged to seek student input as well.

The Illinois House approved the legislation by a 102-3 vote in April. The Illinois Senate passed the measure 55-2 in May.

At least 35 states and Washington, D.C., have signed or already enacted laws or policies regarding student cellphone use in K-12 classrooms.

In Illinois, Glenbrook High School District 225 implemented its own cellphone ban already for several years, and said they have seen success.

Classrooms inside Glenbrook Southa and Glenbrook North high schools require students to put their phones inside numbered caddies or risk being marked absent.