Suburban schools ready for state ban on cellphones in class

If your local school district hasn’t already banned students from using cellphones during the school day, a new state law would require it by the 2027-28 academic year.

Gov. JB Pritzker plans to sign a bill that will prohibit students in kindergarten through eighth grade from using cellphones, smartwatches, smart eyeglasses and gaming devices from the start to the end of the school day.

The new law would ban high school students from using the devices during instructional time but allow their use during passing periods and lunch.

For many suburban students, the state-mandated restrictions won’t be anything new. Numerous districts in Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane counties already prohibit students from using devices during the school day.

“We are in compliance with what this law will entail,” said Sam Bentsen, superintendent of Fenton High School District 100 in Bensenville. “We don’t view it as a change.”

Why the ban?

State Sen. Cristina Castro, who helped introduce the cellphone legislation, said academic success relies on students “being present during class so they can perform their best.”

“Keeping students’ minds engaged with teachers ensures a productive classroom environment,” the Elgin Democrat said in a statement.

The state measure is partially modeled after examples set by local school districts that already have a “bell-to-bell” ban, including Elgin Area School District U-46.

“It is time we help students rediscover their passion for learning and ability to stay present in the classroom,” Castro said. “Teachers and students should be able to collaborate effectively without distractions standing in the way.”

Downers Grove High School District 99 officials say surveys show that its districtwide cellphone policy, instituted in August 2025, has been well-received by teachers and parents.

The policy requires devices to be turned off or silenced and kept out of sight during instructional time. Students are also expected to place their devices in storage containers in the classroom if directed by staff.

Previously, it was up to teachers to decide how to handle device use in the classrooms.

“Most students (if you asked) would say, ‘We probably needed this in place,’” Superintendent Hank Thiele said.

The main benefit is that it reduces distractions, Thiele said. Having a districtwide policy sets common expectations that make it easier for schools and families to enforce, he said.

“We also have young adults in our buildings,” Karen Taylor, an associate principal at Downers Grove South High School, recently told the school board.

“How do we teach them to be responsible — follow our rules, yes — but also prepare them for the not-so-distant future when they are employed and need to be disengaged from their phone,” Taylor added.

What schools have done

Many suburban districts already prohibit students from using devices during the school day. They require them to be silenced or turned off, stored in classroom caddies or students’ lockers, or put in signal-blocking bags, such as the locking Yondr bags U-46 uses.

U-46 has had rules on the books for seven years. This past school year, it adopted a policy for its nine middle schools that requires students to use the district-issued Yondrs. They can carry the bags or put them in their lockers.

It was hoped that doing so would increase engagement.

“It’s not a hope. It’s happening,” said Julie Shumaker, executive director of middle schools. She said students were skeptical at first, but now some tell her they enjoy not having a phone in class.

Jennifer Reyes, the principal of Abbott Middle School in Elgin, said it was noticeable even during lunch periods.

“They are forced to interact with each other,” Reyes said, rather than having their heads down, staring at a screen. “They talk to each other and make eye contact.”

Heather Hodal, an assistant principal at Abbott, said students interacted more with staff in other ways.

For example, if students needed to speak to their parents during the day, they went to the front office to make or receive the calls. And if they were having a bad day, they were more likely to reach out to support workers in the building.

While District 100 has a policy prohibiting classroom use, Bentsen said he appreciates the new state law because it will draw attention to the topic.

Meanwhile, he said, students at Fenton High School haven’t had any problems with the district’s policy because they have had several years of experience with cellphone bans while attending middle and grade schools.

“Students are used to this,” Bentsen said. “Over time, it should just become ‘This is just how it is.’”

The new law would require the state board of education to draft a policy template by Sept. 1 and post it on its website.

As of Thursday, Pritzker had not signed the bill. But several days earlier, he applauded its passage in a statement.

“Every parent and educator knows the damage that unchecked screen time and social media can do to our children and how disruptive they can be in school,” he said.