What’s the story?
Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed Senate Bill (SB) 444 on May 28, 2025, requiring school boards in Nevada to adopt policies limiting the use of electronic communication devices, including cellphones, during instruction in schools. The law required school boards to prohibit students from accessing their cellphones during class. Both the Nevada State Senate and the Nevada Assembly approved SB 444 unanimously on April 16 and May 21, respectively.
Nevada is the 21st state to enact statewide policies banning or limiting cellphones in school, and at least 14 states have adopted cellphone bans or limits so far in 2025. Two states require all school district boards to adopt a policy on cellphones but do not specify requirements. Five other states have policies encouraging school districts to establish restrictions on cellphone use in the classroom. Click here for more information about state policies.
SB 444 establishes exemptions to the cellphone use restrictions, including in cases of emergency, if teachers allow cellphone use for instructional purposes, and if use of an electronic communication device is included in an individualized education program (IEP).
What’s the background?
Legislation banning or limiting cellphone use differs in each state, though most require local school boards to adopt and enforce policies to implement the ban or limit. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 76% of schools said they banned the non-academic use of cell phones or smartphones during school hours during the 2021-22 school year, down from 91% in 2010. In many high schools, administrators allowed cell phone use at designated times during the school day, such as lunch.
Statewide cellphone bans or limits have occurred in three states with Democratic trifectas, three states with divided governments, and 15 states with Republican trifectas.
What are the arguments?
Supporters of cellphone bans in the K-12 classroom argue that they disrupt the learning environment. New York University Prof. Jonathan Haidt contended that cellphones distract students and inhibit them from engaging with their peers.
Opponents of cellphone bans argue that schools should teach students how to have a healthy relationship with technology rather than ban it. Writer and teacher Erica Barry argued that schools should teach students how to use their cellphones without becoming addicted to them. “I would want my child to have their phone to contact me in case of an emergency, such as a school shooting.”
Ballotpedia’s school board authority research
Statewide cellphone policies, depending on the details, can limit the discretion and authority of local school boards or require school boards to make policies. Earlier this year, Ballotpedia examined the rules governing school board authority and responsibilities in all 50 states. The research includes information on the authority of and constraints on school board policy-making power concerning the following specific topics:
- Curriculum requirements
- Curriculum restrictions
- Book bans and restrictions
- Parental notification policies
- Discipline
- School board elections
- Public school choice and open enrollment
- Charter schools
- Cellphone bans
Click here for more on our school board authority research, including information specific to your state.
Additional reading