New legislation looks to limit cellphone usage in North Carolina schools
SB 55 would restrict students from using personal, wireless communication devices from the first to the last bell of the school day. Bill author Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett County) told Queen City News the measure is getting positive feedback and downplayed concerns about safety.
PREVIOUS: NC education leaders to discuss possible cellphone restrictions in public schools
'There is a phone in every classroom in the state of North Carolina,' said Burgin. 'You know the teachers are instructed on what to do in case of an emergency. If there's an emergency, I don't want 30 kids or 25 kids, however many in the class on their phone, not listening, not taking instructions, not being quiet if they're told to be quiet.'
Back in January, a similar ban on phone usage went into effect statewide in South Carolina. Lancaster County Schools implemented their own policy months earlier. They had begun discussions about limiting phone use during the Summer of 2024.
'There was a lot of time being spent on asking students to put their phone away. We know that technology is a tool and there's a lot of positives to it, but we also know that it can be a distraction,' said Elizabeth Bryant, Director of Communication for Lancaster County School District.
Bryant said that district-wide, they're already seeing a positive impact.
'They have seen a lot of students talking to one another…the only negative thing, I wouldn't even say…it's really a positive, is that the conversations have increased and so the noise level in the buildings has increased,' she said.
Back in North Carolina, Sen. Burgin told Queen City News he believes his bill will get the votes it needs to become law, and argued a statewide mandate is the best way to improve outcomes for districts and their students.
'I think a lot of the districts are a little bit timid about doing some things,' he said. 'Whereas if they had clear direction from us, I think they would find it easier to do.'
While SB 55 would be the first state mandate restricting phones in North Carolina schools, several districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, have already rolled out their own policies.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Charlotte was in a precarious position in 2017. The city had just gone toe-to-toe with state lawmakers over Charlotte's nondiscrimination ordinance, which allowed transgender people to use public restrooms that aligned with their gender identity. The Republican General Assembly wasn't pleased and passed a controversial bill to nullify the ordinance. A few years before that, the N.C. General Assembly attempted to take control of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport from the city, which would have undermined Charlotte's financial autonomy. And the city had cycled through five mayors in as many years. Their reasons for leaving ranged from a federal appointment under the Obama administration to an arrest on corruption charges. Residents were dismayed by drama unfolding at city hall and antsy for change. Enter Vi Lyles. A quiet leader with decades of local government experience, her conciliatory style offered a sharp contrast with the status quo. 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Lyles also launched the Mayor's Racial Equity Initiative, a public-private partnership with a goal of raising $250 million to address racial disparities and invest in the city's six Corridors of Opportunity. Her political ascent is credited in part to her knack for relationship building — a strength to which even political rivals attest. Lyles is one of the kindest, most intuitive people Libertarian mayoral candidate Rob Yates has ever met, he said. She's a natural diplomat who can read people well, and the few one-on-one interactions they've had have stuck with him. He thinks her policies are all wrong, of course. 'But for what it's worth, I don't think there's some ulterior motive, some massive agenda. I think she's sincere in her desire to help the people of Charlotte and make things better,' Yates said. Repairing relationships in Raleigh The General Assembly traditionally viewed Charlotte as 'too big for its britches' and had little interest in going out of its way to help the city, said Eric Heberlig, a political science professor at UNC Charlotte. Local leaders exacerbated matters. Lyles' predecessor, Roberts, had a hands-on tenure and took controversial stances that landed Charlotte in hot water, Heberlig said. Lyles found ways to accommodate Republicans and lower the temperature. In 2020, she pushed for the Republican National Convention to come to Charlotte, an action that lacked broad support from her base. Unpopular as it was at home, the move was key in demonstrating good faith to state leaders, paving the way for this year's 1% sales tax referendum to support transportation, Heberlig said. If voters approve it, the tax would generate billions of dollars to fund road, bus and rail projects such as the long-anticipated Red Line commuter rail. 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She's middle-of-the-road enough that people in both major parties are comfortable with her at the helm. She lacks lightning rod qualities or ultraliberal views that might otherwise motivate the Republican Party to run a strong candidate against her. Though, voting trends suggest Republicans would have a hard time winning the citywide contest regardless. A big name Democrat hasn't run against her, either, since she dethroned Roberts in 2017. 'She makes us comfortable. There's nothing radical appearing about Vi, and she's qualified,' Erdman said. Lyles faces more challengers than ever as frustration mounts Though Lyles' moderate approach has been successful in courting favor in Raleigh, former councilman Winston said he's not so sure the same can be said for the people of Charlotte. Distrust is building in the community, he said, and frustrations with political leaders are bubbling over. Winston sees parallels between today and the political climate of 2017 that swept Lyles into office. 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Council today has what Patterson calls 'bomb throwers' — people who stir up controversy and make claims unsupported by data. That's been frustrating for Lyles, a natural coalition builder who leads by getting people together in teams, Patterson said. 'Best I can tell, there's very little trust on city council,' Patterson said. 'There's too much interest in who gets credit.' Woollen, a longtime Republican, became an independent just to vote for Lyles during her first primary election. The two remain close friends today and still meet for dinner or a chat. She sees 'grandstanding' from some city leaders, she said. And when councilmembers leak information or comment on closed sessions, they're only sowing further discord and 'get at' the mayor, she said. The Jennings settlement was a notable example. 'It just upsets me so bad,' Woollen said. 'God love her, that's all I can say. I can't imagine (running) again, but I'm thankful that she is.' What legacy will Vi Lyles leave behind? 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