At many Wyoming schools, district-wide policies eliminate the ever-alluring distraction of social media notifications, text messages or TikTok scrolling by barring smartphone use in the classroom.
But not all. At least 18 of the state’s 48 districts — and likely more — have no cellphone policies, according to data collected recently by the Wyoming School Boards Association. To be clear, the lack of district-wide policies hasn’t stopped some schools in those districts from adopting specific rules.
But the legality of cellphones in Wyoming schools could become more uniform with the passage of Senate File 21 – Ban on cell phone use in schools. The bill would require Wyoming districts to adopt policies prohibiting cellphone use in classrooms by July 1.
Bill sponsor Sen. Wendy Schuler (R-Evanston) was motivated, she said, by a common teacher complaint that policing phone use has become a classroom nightmare.
“I’ve kind of been hearing this from both administrators and staff that the biggest roadblock a lot of them see is the use of cell phones with the kids,” said Schuler, a former teacher. “They really struggle trying to keep [students] on task, because their focus is on their phones. It’s so distracting.”
Though she generally favors local control, Schuler said, overwhelming support among educators who want a consistent rule fueled the bill.
If SF 21 passes, Wyoming would join a growing and bipartisan trend of new limits on smartphone and social media use in schools. Nearly 20 states, including California, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Florida, have passed laws or enacted policies that either ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones or recommend local districts enact such policies.
In September, Gov. Mark Gordon and Wyoming’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder penned a joint letter urging Wyoming schools to follow suit.
“We are increasingly concerned that in too many schools unchecked student cell phone usage during instruction time poses a significant threat to both the educational experience and the mental well-being of our students,” the letter read.
The Wyoming School Boards Association believes local school districts should have community conversations to determine the best path for their schools on this issue, Executive Director Brian Farmer said. That said, the organization appreciates that SF 21 allows for rules to be tailored to community needs.
“We know that many communities will be in favor of restrictions and believe that reduced use will generally be beneficial to student well-being,” Farmer said.
Cellphone police
Senate File 21, which is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Ken Clouston, Landon Brown and J.T. Larson, would give school boards until July 1 to adopt policies. The bill makes room for exceptions like emergencies or health reasons.
Schuler said she’s heard from educators around the state who have been trying to crack down on smartphone use in classrooms but are experiencing significant pushback from students and their parents. The bill could fortify those local efforts.
Evidence is mounting to support the observation that cellphones in classrooms can be severely detrimental to education.
Some 72% of high-school teachers report that students being distracted by their cellphones in the classroom is a major problem, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center analysis of classroom challenges. Distraction and compulsive use aren’t the entire problem, either, as students use their phones to bully, share inappropriate videos and record fights in the hallways.
In light of Gordon and Degenfelder’s endorsement of classroom cellphone bans, the Wyoming School Boards Association recently surveyed districts to learn how many district policies exist. Of the 38 districts that responded, 20 reported having official policies.
One of the newest districts with a policy is Fremont County District 25. At that district’s largest high school in Riverton, Principal Thomas Jassman helped usher in a policy this fall.
Students can either hand in their phones at the classroom door or stow them away. Penalties for breaking the rule escalate with parental notification and device confiscation, with repeat offenders eventually having to turn in their phones every morning to administrators.
Students can use their phones during lunch and outside of the classroom.
Riverton High School teachers are fans of the rule, they told WyoFile. Students are more engaged, managing a classroom is more efficient and overall focus is better, they said. Jassman has also observed a decline in “student drama,” which he attributes to kids having fewer opportunities to post mean things or engage in cyberbullying.
It took a little while for everyone to get used to the new normal, Jassman said, but “I think it’s been pretty effective.”
That makes sense, Schuler said. When talking to teachers about cellphones, “I actually had a couple of them tell me, ‘this is going to be the thing that’s going to drive me out of education,’” she said.
“I’m all about having our Wyoming students be the best they can be,” she said. “And I just think the cellphone usage is one of those detriments that if we can put that ban on there, and then let the school districts choose how they want to enforce them, I think it would at least be a step in the right direction for our kids.”
How can any reasonable minded person not see that allowing the use of cell phones within a classroom is not detrimental. Why have only 20 of the 48 school districts adopted some sort of policy? Why did only 38 of the 48 districts respond to the Wyoming School Boards Association survey? These are district staff, whose salary is paid by public dollars, and as such they are accountable to the public. Enacting a ban on cell phone use in the classroom is a no brainer and should not need a SF bill to make it happen. Why do we have a Superintendent of Public Instruction? This position is beginning to feel like just another highly paid politician occupying space. Here are the qualifications listed for the position: 1) must be at least 25 years old; 2) need to be a citizen of the United States and; 3) a qualified elector. Wow, guess you don’t need to know anything about education or administration!
and, this is just a few of the duties listed for the Superintendent:
21-2-202 – Duties of the state superintendent
(a) In addition to any other duties assigned by law, the state superintendent shall:
(i) Make rules and regulations, consistent with this code, as may be necessary or desirable for the proper and effective administration of the state educational system and the statewide education accountability system pursuant to W.S. 21-2-204. Nothing in this section shall be construed to give the state superintendent rulemaking power in any area specifically entrusted to the state board.
(ii) Consult with and advise the state board, local school boards, local school administrators, teachers and interested citizens, and seek in every way to develop public support for a complete and uniform system of education for the citizens of this state;
Let’s see here, “complete and uniform system of education” “proper and effective administration of the state educational system”, seems pretty straight forward to me.
Let’s get back to taking care of business. Local District School boards, District Superintendents, Wyoming Department of Education staff, and our Superintendent of Public Instruction and staff, GitRdone. Of course this would be a mute point if today’s parents would actually be a parent by guiding and mentoring their children.
I taught students in Wyoming 28 years. Please… PLEASE.. respect teachers who are in the classrooms when we say…THIS IS A GOOD THING.. for your (not my) children.
More “laws” to take away OUR rights!! The end game for theses CRIMINALS, is to take ALL of our rights away. Very corrupt, as in pinedale, boy, what corrupt town that is!! I imagine that is why the DOJ is investigating the main culprit in charge. In my country, terrorists wear badges!!!
Students, when in school, don’t have a “right” to use their phones anytime they want. They are at school, funded by taxpayers, to get an education that will hopefully result in them being independent and contributing members of our state and country.
So Patrick, please show us where in the Constitution students are guaranteed the right to use a cell phone during class hours. Rants like this are a good example of what happens when students don’t pay attention in class.
Ah, Pinedale. Clearly, the capital of corruption.
Good morning neighbors as I addressed on the December 02, 2024 at 05:23 AM. WYOFILE article.
SERIOUSLY! A LAW? We ADULTS are asking/looking forward to a LAW being written and passed for the use of cellphones in a REPUBLIC NATION! They are children requiring adult supervision and example again explained in previous comment section. SERIOUSLY?
DO NOT our LEO’S have enough to do protecting and serving our streets than to bring them into the public school houses additionally as well? Are we/you/I preparing our country to accept the obliteration of the FIRST AMENDMENT and THIRD AMENDMENT?
and or how many more?
*** PREVIOUS COMMENT ***
“I am happy but not tremendously excited for this decision because along with the child’s education serious consideration and attention needs to be to the following: Self Control, self respect, respect for others, unselfishness, consideration, honestly, integrity, accountability, logistics, coordination, cooperation, and honor.
Neighbors like it or not “cellphones/smartphones”are here to stay and are an integral and integrated part of everyone’s life at what seems in every age group according to their needs, desires and or requirements… Soooo let them KEEP THEM and they will learn ALL .the aforementioned because of its importance in their own respective lives BUT! They should have them turned off/muted/etc. while in the classroom.
REASONING: Is because of a common statement “In this day and age”… Most importantly “IF” any kind of incident like what happened in Texas with the children at that school or Colorado, and other S
states especially what happened in Texas with the parents desperate to see, seek or talk to their children and we all remember the report that the Law Enforcement Officers did not go into the school until certain support arrived.
Are we/you/I going to be satisfied with the outcome when each child DOES NOT have a way to communicate with their parents to give them their condition, status, well being and just as important location of the KILLER(S)/TRESPASSER(S)?
The cellphone has become a valuable tool in their lives, let’s aid them in the aforementioned of good proper use of in in the proper environment because it will translate very well into adulthood, seriously, how many employers authorize cellphone use while “on the job”, driving a vehicle, etc. We as adults are the real examples to our children individually and collectively but they are at school while we adults are “on the job” and when our children transition into the workforce it will not be a hugh surprise that cellphone usage have RESTRICTIONS on/in and under certain circumstances, conditions and environments, it’s a “WIN/WIN for everyone! Thank you for reading this far.
Semper Fi!”
Thank you WYOFILE for your follow-up article on this VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT that hopefully DOES NOT BECOME LAW.
Semper Fi!
How in the world did we reach the point where keeping kids off phones during class is even a discussion? Common sense would prevent such a thing to begin with. There is a place for everything, and school is a poor place to be chatting on the phone and ignoring lessons and the teachers.
Thank you Marion. It took you two paragraphs to put this intuitive perspective into focus for reasonable adults.
If a child of mine were using a cellphone in class, their cellphone would be confiscated by me!