Arkansas State Education Department offering grants to schools for cell phone restrictions in classrooms

As the 2024-2025 academic year commences, the Arkansas State Education Department is offering grants to school districts for the implementation of cell phone restrictions in classrooms.

The challenge of limiting or prohibiting cell phone use among students lies in their potential necessity for learning and research.

Nonetheless, recent research has shown that excessive screen time can negatively impact the mental health of young individuals. Instead of engaging in face-to-face interactions with peers and educators, they become engrossed in social media, which can increase susceptibility to bullying and affect self-esteem.

In response to the growing concern over youth mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and isolation, stemming from excessive cell phone usage, the governor and Education Secretary announced the availability of state grants for local schools in early July.

These grants are intended for mental health services accessible through telehealth technology and for the purchase of secure pouches to store cell phones during school hours, costing approximately $30 each. Special magnets provided to teachers and staff will unlock these pouches.

A spokesperson for the Education Department revealed that over 200 Arkansas school districts have shown interest in the grant program, with many already enforcing policies to curb non-academic cell phone use.

Arkansas schools serve approximately 475,000 students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and it is projected that 200,000 will participate in pilot programs restricting cell phone access throughout the school day.

A crucial aspect of the cell phone restriction policy will be the accurate measurement of its outcomes, which requires time. Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that student academic performance improves when they engage more with their teachers.

To fully assess the benefits of restricting cell phones, it will likely take at least one full school year, if not more, to gather and analyze changes in test scores. Gauging the impact on students’ mental health is an even greater challenge.

As a result, the pilot program includes a continuous survey conducted by the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas to investigate the effects of cell phone restrictions on students’ mental health. The hypothesis is that reducing young people’s access to social media will have a positive impact on their mental well-being.

School districts that have enforced cell phone limitations in classrooms have reported favorable outcomes, not only in academic performance but also in student conduct. Some districts will start by restricting cell phones in middle schools, as this is often when students receive their first devices and start to establish their online habits.

Regarding school lunches, districts enact a policy annually for the collection of payments from students for lunches and snacks. This process is complex, as some students fall behind on payments, yet schools are obligated to provide them with the same meals as their peers.

Schools are prohibited from shaming students who have outstanding payments, for example, by requiring them to wear wristbands. All school nutrition policies are required to adhere to Act 428 of 2019, known as the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act.