New efforts aim to ban student cell phone use in Missouri classrooms

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Should students be allowed to use cell phones during the school day? It's a hot-button topic among parents, and there's a new effort in Missouri that could lead to a statewide ban.

Missouri State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) has pre-filed a bill that prevent students from using "electronic personal communication devices" during instructional school hours, which would seemingly entail cell phones.

Steinhoff has preemptively filed Missouri House Bill 306 on such matters and plans to formally introduce it when Missouri's next legislative session begins in January.

The legislation, as currently written, would require Missouri public school districts and charter schools to adopt written policies by the 2026-27 school year in regards to students possessing and using cell phones during instructional time. It also calls for exceptions in the case of emergencies, being directed to use phones for learning purposes, and students with disabilities.

Officials would then be required to explicitly post their cell phone policy on a school or district website, according to the pre-filed bill.

"A school district or charter school employee or volunteer shall be held harmless and immune from any liability for actions taken under this section if such employee or volunteer acts in good faith and follows the proper disciplinary procedures," the legislation reads in part.

An August 2024 poll conducted by Saint Louis University and online marketing research company YouGov finds that a majority of Missourians would support some policy to prohibit cell phone use for students during school hours.

Around 72% of poll respondents supported prohibiting high school students from accessing their cell phones either during class or regular school hours, while 78% agreed that cell phones should be banned during class.

Cell phone use in schools has become a heated issue in recent years, partly due to rising concerns over school shootings and threats nationwide. Some parents are concerned about being able to contact their children, or vice versa, in situations deemed to be emergencies.

However, educators argue that cell phones can be a major distraction for students academically. Nearly three in every four high school teachers find cell phone use among students during instructional time to be problematic, according to the Pew Research Center.

There seems to be bipartisan support in addressing student cell phone use as well. According to results from the aforementioned SLU/YouGov poll, more than two-thirds of Republicans, Democrats, and independent voters support a cell phone ban during school hours.

Steinhoff's pre-filed bill also comes as the U.S. Education Department recently called on every state, school, and school district to adopt policies that offer guidance on student cell phone use in schools.