Pennsylvania's new school cellphone ban raises concerns among Garnet Valley students

Students at a high school in Delaware County have mixed feelings about Pennsylvania's new cellphone ban. Some worry the restrictions will make it harder to communicate with parents and coaches, while others see potential benefits to spending less time on their phones.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the bill into law Monday.

The bell-to-bell restrictions will apply to public and private schools from kindergarten through 12th grade beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. The law aims to help students focus on their education and improve their mental health.

At Garnet Valley High School in Concord Township, junior Shubun Aggarwal said he uses his phone to communicate with his parents during the school day. The 16-year-old said losing that ability could create problems, especially when plans change. Shubun also questions the one-size-fits-all approach.

"I do not agree with it at all because for me, it feels a little insulting that they're comparing high schoolers who have different needs to middle schoolers and elementary schoolers," Shubun said.

Junior Leighla Tancredi, a member of Garnet Valley's volleyball team, said postseason brings frequent schedule changes, including updates to when athletes need to leave school. She worries a phone ban could leave her out of the loop.

"I personally feel like there's definitely pros and cons to everything, but definitely more of a con," Leighla said.

Garnet Valley School District Superintendent Marc Bertrando said the district is still working out how families will communicate with students under the new rules.

"We'll have to set up a system in our school that really dates back a few decades where parents will call a main line or email an individual to get messages to their children," Bertrando said. "It's going to take some patience and recalibrating for parents and also for students to be okay with that."

Garnet Valley High School has 1,450 students. The school already restricts cellphone use during class, requiring students to store their phones in designated pockets. Students are allowed to use their phones in common areas like the cafeteria, hallways and lobby.

Junior Isabella Rivera questioned whether a statewide ban is necessary.

"While I understand what they're trying to do, we already don't have our phones in class usually because of our school's policy," Isabella said. 

The law includes exceptions for students with medical conditions like Type 1 diabetes, who use their cell phone to connect to continuous glucose monitors or insulin pumps. There are also exceptions for students with disabilities who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and English language learners who use their phone as a translation tool.

Not every student opposes the idea of spending less time on a phone.

"One of the pros of not having your phone can be communication skills," Junior Evan McCabe said. "When you're in the hallways, or the class is kind of dead, the last five minutes, people kind of just go on their phones."

Evan said he hopes his classmates will spend more time talking to each other instead of scrolling. But some students question whether the ban will accomplish its intended goal.

"I think it's honestly going to create more of a distraction because people are going to be like, why can't we use our phones? We have an emergency that we need to take care of," junior Jacob Mueller said. "If anything, this is honestly going to increase distractions."

Other students are less concerned about the change.

"I don't think it would be that bad, but it will be different," Junior Aleksander Roman said.