Schools are increasingly telling students they must put their phones away – Ohio’s example shows mixed results following new bans

Schools with phone bans are often giving students the option of placing their devices in a locked case or a box. Hill Street Studios/iStock/Getty Images

Cellphones are everywhere – including, until recently, in schools.

Since 2023, 29 states, including New York, Vermont, Florida and Texas, have passed laws that require K-12 public schools to enforce bans or strict limits on students using their cellphones on campus.