School Cellphone Survey Indicates Ban Is Effective

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By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD — The state’s newly implemented bell-to-bell cell phone ban has been effective in reducing distractions in the classroom and improving student focus according to administrators and teachers in a recent Department of Education survey.

Nearly 80 percent of teachers surveyed near the end of the first year of the cell phone prohibition, said the new policies were either very effective or somewhat effective at reducing distractions, while 88 percent of school administrators agreed.

“Our effort to get cell phones out of the classroom is paying off, and I’m highly encouraged by the progress schools are reporting,” said Gov. Kelly Ayotte. “When classrooms are free from unnecessary distractions, teachers can focus on teaching, students are better able to learn, and we see students reading, talking, and connecting with each other again.”

The state’s cell phone law was approved in the 2025 legislative session and requires school boards and charter schools to adopt “bell-to-bell” cellphone bans and prohibits student use of all personal electronic communication devices from the start to end of the school day.

School boards and charter schools develop their own specific policies to enforce the ban.

According to the survey done this spring with 1,487 teachers and 198 administrators participating, 77 percent of teachers said they never or rarely observe cell phones use in the classroom for non-instructional purposes.

A similar survey done in 2025 found 68 percent of teachers observed phones being used for non-instructional purposes before the statewide mandate.

Educators and administrators agree, said Megan Tuttle, President of National Education Association NH, the cell phone ban is creating learning environments where students are more focused and better engaged with the content and their peers.

“NEA-New Hampshire and our members continue to support a statewide, bell-to-bell approach because it creates clear, consistent expectations across schools and allows teachers to focus on instruction. We are encouraged to hear most educators are spending less time serving as the ‘cell phone police’ and we remain committed to continuing collaboration with administrators, families, and lawmakers to ensure policies are consistently implemented and teachers can focus on what they do best—teaching,” Tuttle said. “These early results demonstrate what’s possible when we work together with a shared focus on student success. Together, we are ensuring our schools are places where all students can learn, connect, and grow.”

This year’s survey sought to determine how the cell phone ban has impacted schools.

Three-quarters of teachers and administrators found students were more focused in class and less distracted.

About 60 percent of educators found students appear to have developed better social skills, with stronger bonds with their peers and more student communication during lunch and other free time.

About 60 percent of educators reported students feel less pressure to check their phones.

Thirty percent of teachers said there are fewer discipline problems, but 42 percent of administrators said there are fewer discipline problems

While about 75 percent of teachers said they believe administrators have their backs in enforcing the ban, 25 percent do not.

There was a discrepancy between administrators and teachers over how consistent the consequences are for students who break the rules, with about 50 percent of teachers saying it is consistent while 80 percent of administrators believe it is.

Conversely, 40 percent of teachers believe the consequences are inconsistent, while only nine percent of administrators believe there is inconsistent enforcement.

There is also disagreement about the improvement in student outcomes, as 38 percent of teachers say they have improved, but only 33 administrators believe there has been improvement.

“We are pleased to see the hard work of teachers, administrators, and students paying off. The energy in classrooms has shifted, and we are hearing that students are more focused, engaged, and connected. It’s clear that the bell-to-bell policy is helping create more positive and vibrant school communities,” said Commissioner Caitlin Davis of the New Hampshire Department of Education.

The survey found there are a range of phone storage policies across the state’s school districts.

Allowing students to keep their cell phones, but they must be out of sight, was the policy in the districts of about 60 percent of those surveyed.

Requiring phones be in lockers or in a bag or container at the beginning of the school day, was the policy in about 25 percent of those surveyed.

Other policies included students retain their cell phones but they have to be in a locked pouch, no cell phones in the building or on campus and having teachers collect cell phones at the beginning of class and returning them at the end.

During public hearings on the cell phone ban during the 2025 legislative sessions, opposition to a complete ban came from some parents who wanted to be able to contact their child when they are at school, which had some educators noting such calls are often distracting if their child is in class.

Eventually lawmakers decided to institute a bell-to-bell ban on personal cell phone use during the school day.

Many schools give students IPads or similar tablets for educational use as part of the district’s education program. Educational use is exempt under the law.

The Department of Education notes “While the results are not representative of all educators in New Hampshire, they provide valuable initial information about educators’ perceptions and experiences with the cell phone ban.”
The agency also notes “Students were not surveyed as part of this initiative, in part because, under RSA 186:11, IX-d, prior notice and prior consent (opt-in) is required for any non-academic survey designed to elicit information about a student.”