While many students and teachers are enjoying summer break down the Jersey Shore, the debate over restricting cell phone use in schools remains active across Pennsylvania.

Last year, state lawmakers included a new grant program in the budget to help schools purchase locking phone pouches for students. However, the legislature stopped short of implementing a statewide ban—and this year, no new restrictions have advanced.

Polls show Americans remain divided on the issue. A Pew Research poll from October found that nearly 70% support banning cell phones during instructional time, but 53% oppose a ban throughout the entire school day.

Despite inaction at the state level, local school districts are taking matters into their own hands. A review by the Delaware Valley Journal of cell phone policies across suburban Philadelphia districts reveals a trend toward tighter regulations.

Over the past two years, many districts have updated their policies or are currently debating new rules. Very few districts now lack any mention of cell phones in their student handbooks. Some require phones to be placed in classroom caddies during lessons—though these are typically not the lockable bags eligible for state funding, which, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, few have taken advantage of.

Only a handful of districts apply uniform cell phone rules across elementary, middle, and high schools. Most tailor policies by grade level: elementary and middle school students are often required to keep phones off and out of sight all day, while high school students are typically only restricted during class time.

In the Upper Darby School District, Superintendent Daniel McGarry said their approach—“bell to bell” phone restrictions for middle schools and instructional-time-only limits for high schools—aims to strike a developmental balance.

“If you want to get kids to act like adults, you treat them like adults,” McGarry said. “They’re going to be in the real world soon. We’re preparing them for college and career.”

McGarry noted that many high school students juggle responsibilities like extracurriculars and caring for family members, making an all-day phone ban impractical.

The West Chester Area School District has had a similar tiered policy for years, but only ramped up enforcement last academic year. Superintendent David Christopher said compliance varied across classrooms.

“I think kids were very compliant,” he said. “However, it was very different across a building. Some teachers were much more focused on enforcement, and others less so.”

North Penn School District experienced similar challenges. Pete Nicholson, administrator of secondary education and renovations, said their policy—“bell to bell” restrictions in middle school and class-time-only bans in high school—proved difficult to enforce consistently. This summer, the district is working to streamline enforcement for teachers.

Despite these issues, neither Christopher nor Nicholson is currently considering a full-day ban for high schoolers, though some experts believe stricter rules are more effective.

“That is the only way that has been found to get kids to pay attention—to make them available to their teachers and to each other,” said Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, in a March social media post supporting a full-day restriction.

Nicholson said middle school students initially struggled with the new policy, especially those who had phone access the year before. One student even launched a petition—with more than 100 signatures—requesting phone access during lunch.

“There were some students that took time to get used to the new policy,” he said. “But the vast, vast majority very quickly got used to it and did a nice job complying.”

He added that student input was intentionally limited during policy development, as administrators believed feedback would skew toward keeping phones. Christopher said West Chester plans to launch principal advisory committees next year to incorporate student perspectives.

In contrast, McGarry said student voices were key in shaping Upper Darby’s policy.

“Even kids were admitting, ‘Give us a reason to put these away so we’re not missing out,’” he said. “It’s one of the few times we’ve implemented something without major pushback from anyone.”

For now, Pennsylvania’s patchwork of local policies appears likely to continue into the next school year. While many states have enacted statewide bans or restrictions, Pennsylvania has yet to move legislation forward.

Christopher believes that may be for the best. Based on conversations with colleagues in states with statewide bans, he said some students fear the consequences.

“I’m not sure that the law is the right decision,” he said. “Our kids are used to being able to interact with their families, especially when they have concerns and challenges. I think this is an ongoing conversation that districts are going to be having.”