Latest news with #SenateBill158
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate votes 30-2 to ban student cellphone use in K-12 schools
May 15—The Ohio Senate passed a measure this week that would generally prohibit Ohio K-12 students from using cellphones during the school day. Senate Bill 158 passed by a vote of 30-2 Wednesday, with two Democratic detractors. It's already received the blessing of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who in recent years has connected cellphones to negative learning outcomes, worrying mental health and poor socialization among children. "The facts are clear: School districts that have restricted student cellphone use during the instructional day have seen a return to noisy classrooms, fostering real, face-to-face conversations and relationships," said Sen. Jane Timken, R-Canton, while encouraging her colleagues to vote for her bill. "Eliminating cellphones in schools leads to improved academic performances and allows (students) to develop academically and socially and thrive." Numerous educators have said the classroom atmosphere is better without cellphones, but Timken's comment about improved academic performance is one that is still up for debate. According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, much of the academic research on the issue so far has been outside the U.S. One English study found increased academic performance after schools banned cell phones, but a similar study in Sweden found no relationship between school cell phone bans and academic performance. A 2024 Norwegian study on school smartphone bans showed some GPA improvement for girls, especially from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. S.B. 158, if passed into law, would require each Ohio public school to adopt a policy prohibiting the use of cellphones by students during instructional hours. The bill is a slight adjustment from Ohio's current law, also pushed by DeWine, which required every school district in the state to adopt policies to limit cellphone use during the school day. S.B. 158 would allow schools to make exceptions for students who have a health concern that needs to be monitored, according to the legislature's nonpartisan analysis of the bill. The bill now heads to the Ohio House, which has previously approved of state efforts to cut down on cellphone use during the school day. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate passes bill banning students using cellphones during school day
(Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images) Ohio students are one step closer to being banned from using cellphones during the school day. The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 158 by a vote of 30-2 during Wednesday's Senate session. The bill would require schools to create a policy banning students from using cellphones during the school day. Ohio state Sens. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, and Beth Liston, D-Dublin, voted against the bill, which now goes to the Ohio House for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Ohio Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Township, introduced the bill about a month ago. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was quick to voice his support for it, saying last month that 'we need to be sure that our classrooms, frankly, are now cellphone free.' 'This legislation is a common sense approach to unplug our children from the constant flow of distractions during the vital school time in which they are in the classroom,' Timken said during Wednesday's Senate session. 'It will boost in-person relationships and reduce distractions.' A 2024 Pew Research study reported 72% of U.S. high school teachers said cellphone distraction is a major problem in classrooms. Students receive nearly 200 alerts per day on their cellphones, according to Statista. Ohio law currently requires all school districts to have a policy for student cellphone use by July 1. Some schools already ban cellphones while other schools limit cell phone use to only certain times of the day. S.B. 158 would take the law a step further by banning the use of cellphones in school. School districts would have to ban cellphones in school by Sept. 1, according to the bill. 'The facts are clear, school districts that have restricted student cellphone use during the instructional day have seen a return to noisy classrooms, fostering real face-to-face conversations and relationships,' Timken said. 'Eliminating cellphones in schools leads to improved academic performance and allows them to develop academically and socially and thrive.' State Sen. Catherine D. Ingram, D-Cincinnati, echoed Timken's comments. 'There are distractions, and we need to make sure that when our children are in school, they are learning,' she said. There are some exceptions to the bill. A school board can allow a student to use a cellphone to monitor a health concern if the board receives a written statement from the student's doctor. The bill also requires public school administrators to include protocol addressing cellphone use during an active shooter situation in the emergency management plan for each building. At least 21 states require school districts to ban or restrict students' cellphone use in schools, according to Education Week. Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Utah have a statewide restriction. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill that would limit student's access to cell phones in school takes next steps to becoming law
A bill that bans all cell phone use by students during school hours was passed by the Senate and is another step closer to becoming law. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Senate Bill 158 passed in the Senate with 30 yes votes to only two no votes. The bill calls for all public school districts to adopt a policy that would prohibit students to use cell phones during the school day. The bill still needs to be introduced and passed by the House before it would head to Governor Mike DeWine's desk to be signed into law. If the bill were to pass the House, it would likely be signed by DeWine, as he posted support for the Senate's passing of the bill Wednesday. DeWine has also previously voiced support for the bill to become law, as previously reported on News Center 7. DeWine posted on X Wednesday that he 'commends the Ohio Senate for passing Senate Bill 158.' RELATED: DeWine supports proposed bill aimed at banning students from using cellphones during school day TRENDING STORIES: Newlyweds receive Amazon gift cards before groom's deployment, company says they won't honor them Can you help? Police searching for 2 baby chick theft suspects Popeyes manager shot in drive-thru over burnt biscuits Some Miami Valley schools have already implemented measures designed to limit student cell phone usage during the day, as previously reported on News Center 7. Districts, including Beavercreek City Schools, started using Yondr pouches to hold students' cell phones during the school day. 'We think it's a great move for our schools to remove probably one of the biggest distractions our kids face every day,' Paul Otten, Beavercreek City Schools superintendent, said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeWine calls for ban on cell phones in schools
Apr. 17—COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine hosted a press conference this month supporting legislation that would ban the use of cell phones in public schools in Ohio. Sponsored by Sen. Jane Timken. R-Jackson Township, Senate Bill 158 incorporates language first introduced by DeWine in his executive budget — prohibiting student use of cell phones during the school day. "It's clear that we need to get cell phones out of our classrooms," said DeWine. "The constant distraction of cell phones makes it nearly impossible for students to focus and learn. Not only do they negatively impact student performance, but they can also be harmful to kids' mental and emotional health." "In schools that have already banned phones, we've heard from teachers, administrators, and parents who say the results have been remarkable. Student engagement has improved. Grades are better. Socialization is improving," DeWine said. "It's rare that one change can have such a positive difference. That's why it's time to make Ohio schools phone free." SB 158 will expedite the implementation process — allowing schools time over the summer to update their policies to prohibit student use of cell phones in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year this fall. The bill includes exceptions for students using a cell phone for a documented purpose as part of an Individualized Education Program or for monitoring a health concern. "When phones are within reach, our children are constantly wondering, 'What am I missing? What notification did I miss?' This does not provide for a conducive learning environment, and also has damaging social effects," Timken said. "This legislation is a common sense approach to unplug our children from the constant distractions that they have in the classroom. It will reduce those distractions and will facilitate the building of the interpersonal relationships that are so vital to human development."
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Ohioans say proposed ban of phones in schools violates parents' rights
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Gov. Mike DeWine called for a full cellphone ban in schools last week, but some parents say the move defies his record of supporting parents' decision-making in their children's education. 'That's something I really like about Ohio, and our governor has been very supportive about our rights to choose our child's education, so I'm really surprised that the governor would not be supporting us in this case,' parent Berit Mann said. 'If I'm honest, it's a little hypocritical of the governor to not be supportive of individual freedom for parents in this situation.' Mann has two children, and her oldest son is a first grader in Dublin City Schools. Dublin Superintendent John Marschhausen has been the face of DeWine's phone ban, with DeWine signing a bill requiring all districts to implement a cellphone policy at a Dublin school. Now, DeWine is supporting legislation calling for a full ban to minimize distractions and protect student wellbeing. Annual Buckeye pinwheel planting celebrates, brings awareness to organ donations State Sen. Jane Timken (R-Stark County) sponsored Senate Bill 158, which would ban cellphones and other personal electronic devices in schools during the school day. Exceptions could be made for students who need a personal device for specific learning or medical reasons. Marshhausen joined Timken and DeWine at their news conference and spoke in favor of the bill. 'As we went through this process in Dublin City Schools, we had near unanimous support from parents for banning cellphones from our schools,' Marshhausen said. 'We are home to more than 90,000 residents and I've received one complaint.' However, more than one Dublin parent told NBC4 they did not support the state's ban. Dublin's policy only allows students to use personal devices with teacher permission, but parents said they are still able to communicate with their students when they equip them with devices. Mann sends her first grader to his Dublin school with an Apple watch so he can communicate with his parents, something she's done since preschool. Mann works in technology and said it was important for her to ensure her kids have a responsible relationship with tech. Without it, she said she would worry about his safety. Sheriff speaks about finding dead dogs at Madison County home 'A lot of crazy things happen in this world. Adults can't always be trusted just because of their job title, and kids should have the freedom to double check, because we all know the world is not always a perfectly trustworthy place, unfortunately,' Mann said. 'So I genuinely find it creepy that the government on a state level, is trying to micromanage a parent's right to access their children.' Mann is not alone in fearing for students' safety without phone access. However, National School Safety and Security Services said phones can negatively affect school safety. The organization said phones can distract students from emergency response directions. Students calling and texting their parents in an emergency can also accelerate citizens arriving at the scene, which can place them in dangerous situations or impede emergency responses. DeWine said phones contribute to bullying and worsen mental health, raising safety concerns when students have phone access. DeWine said removing phones during the entire school day, including lunch and free periods, benefits students. He said students interact more without phones, lunch rooms get louder and kids become better at socialization. A 2024 Pew Research study found that 68% of Americans support a ban on phones in class, but 53% oppose bans for the entire school day. After DeWine signed the bill requiring phone policies in schools, many central Ohio schools have joined Dublin in implementing phone bans during class time. Marschhuasen went a step further and said what they do in school isn't enough. He said Dublin schools are working with parents to minimize technology use at home and during the summer months, too. Athens County school district placed in fiscal emergency after $3M deficit Mann said she has nothing but love and respect for her son's teachers and school staff and would respect if they enacted a phone ban. However, she feels a complete ban — especially at the state level — infringes on her rights as a parent. 'I don't know the superintendent. I know my son's principal, and I know my son's teacher, and I know myself, and I know my husband, and those are the people who know my son. So those are the people whose perspectives I'm interested in involving,' Mann said. School Choice Ohio, a group that works to further parents' rights to have a choice in their children's education options, did not feel the ban hurts parents' rights. 'School Choice Ohio supports all policies that empower parents in finding the best educational environment for their children. We support Governor DeWine's continued pursuit of high quality options and educational policies,' School Choice Ohio Director of Media and Communications Beth Lawson said. Mann said if the government can dictate whether students can access their parents, she worries other school choice options like state-sponsored school vouchers or homeschooling could also be removed. As Big Lots stores relaunch, when will Ohio locations open? 'If ending any of those things is considered a giant government overstep, then I can absolutely decide if my child can wear an Apple Watch to school,' Mann said. 'This is hypocrisy, and I think this is really disappointing for a lot of the people who had positive feelings towards Governor DeWine. It feels like a betrayal and it feels like hypocrisy.' Senate Bill 158 had its first hearing on April 8 and is set to continue in Education Committee hearings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
