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Cellphones will be banned in Oklahoma schools for 2025-26 school year: What to know

Cellphones will be banned in Oklahoma schools for 2025-26 school year: What to know

Yahoo06-05-2025

Oklahoma students won't have access to their cellphones while at school and will have fewer virtual school days under bills signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, and Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, worked for two years toward the passage of Senate Bill 139. The new law will require public school districts to limit student cellphone use during the school day ― from 'bell to bell' — for the entire 2025-26 school year. After that, district officials will have the flexibility to adjust their cellphone policies as they see fit.
Seifried said the law is aimed at creating distraction-free learning environments for students.
'This will allow teachers to focus entirely on educating our kids while students can concentrate on learning as much as possible," she said. "After two years of hard work on this issue, I'm thrilled to see this legislation become law, and I'm confident students, parents and teachers will see immediate benefits once the new school year begins."
Under the new law, district cellphone policies must make exceptions for students who need their phones to manage a medical condition and allow phone use in emergencies. Additionally, districts must clearly outline disciplinary actions for students who violate a school's phone-free policy.
Virtual-days bill signed over objections of some rural schools
Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, and Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, authored Senate Bill 758, which will restrict Oklahoma school districts to only two virtual days per school year that can count toward the 180-day or 1,080-hour school year instructional requirement.
The new law will require each district school board to approve a local virtual instruction plan that addresses special education services, nutrition for students who receive free or reduced lunches, transportation access to career tech programs and an assessment of students' internet accessibility.
Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the measure was important to him and thanked Thompson for making the bill a priority.
A bill limiting virtual days in Oklahoma schools, authored by Sen. Kristen Thompson, of Edmond, has been signed into law.
'I truly believe the best place for our kids to learn is in the classroom," Paxton said. "Once this becomes law, it will help with learning, social skills and working parents who have to schedule their lives around arbitrary virtual learning days.'
Thompson spent two legislative sessions shepherding the bill, but she has received considerable pushback from leaders of small, rural school districts, some of which offer four-day school weeks — with either a virtual day or an off day on the fifth day ― as incentives to attract teachers to work in their districts.
Erika Buzzard Wright, the founder of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, called Stitt's decision to sign the bill 'a significant setback' for rural school districts. She said voices from rural schools were "completely ignored throughout the legislative process' and said the new law 'effectively strips local districts of the ability to make decisions that best serve their students.'
'This is a slap in the face to local control — especially for rural districts that have worked tirelessly to attract and retain qualified educators,' Wright said. 'Our schools are already competing with neighboring states that not only offer better pay, but also embrace flexible, innovative school calendars.'
She predicted schools located near Oklahoma's borders with other states will have teachers poached as a result.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: When will Oklahoma's cellphone ban in schools begin? What to know

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Republicans focus on trans athletes in their early attacks against Jon Ossoff in Georgia
Republicans focus on trans athletes in their early attacks against Jon Ossoff in Georgia

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Republicans focus on trans athletes in their early attacks against Jon Ossoff in Georgia

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Push to raise Block Island ferry landing fees moves forward at R.I. State House
Push to raise Block Island ferry landing fees moves forward at R.I. State House

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Push to raise Block Island ferry landing fees moves forward at R.I. State House

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The medical center is 'very full' on a hot summer's day, he added. 'Certainly, tourism dollars are important to the island, but there's a cost to host so many residents, so many tourists,' McAulliffe said. 'I can't say we won't come back in another 35 years.' In March, the New Shoreham Town Council originally considered asking the General Assembly for permission to raise the landing fee from the current 50 cents to $1.75 — a $1.25 increase. Councilors voted on March 27 to seek approval from the General Assembly for the $1.25 landing fee increase. But at the April 2 council meeting, Interstate lawyer Michael McElroy said that such a drastic increase would trigger Narragansett to do the same and ultimately push round-trip landing costs to increase by $3.25 per passenger, according to the Block Island Times. '$1.75 is a big deal and Narragansett will want to match it,' McElroy was quoted in the Times. The New Shoreham Town Council revised its plan on April 9 to reduce the proposed increase to 50 cents, for a $1 landing fee on the island. DiMario's first bill submitted on April 16 had sought the $1.25 increase. A week later, councilors met with DiMario and Spears virtually to align their proposals on Smith Hill with the requested 50-cent increase. McElroy's hunch about Narragansett was confirmed on May 19. On that night, the Narragansett Town Council approved a resolution for a 50-cent increase to match New Shoreham. Interstate Navigation did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story. Each of the four bills must pass both the House and Senate before the legislation can arrive on the governor's desk. The bills would take effect upon passage. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

GOP House Homeland chairman Green to retire from Congress early
GOP House Homeland chairman Green to retire from Congress early

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GOP House Homeland chairman Green to retire from Congress early

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