Florida is now one step closer to completely eliminate cellphone usage in schools, trial program starts soon
Florida – Florida’s legislators late Friday night approved a bill prohibiting middle and elementary school children from using their cell phones at any time throughout the school day. Until now, the state legislation simply prohibited phone use during teaching hours. Young children would give up their electronics as soon as they set foot on school under this new “bell-to-bell” policy—advocated by Rep. Demi Busatta, a Republican—and only get them back after the last dismissal bell.
Tucked inside a larger education package, HB 1105, the restriction passed the House by an 85–14 margin and then sailed past the Senate on a 26–5 vote. Lawmakers are scheduled to meet the week of May 12 to work out spending specifics after the session ended without a completed state budget. The cellphone clause, however, is set for Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signature.
High schoolers, on the other hand, would have a more careful rollout. The law keeps the existing prohibition on phone usage during class time in grades 9–12 but also enables a trial program in six different counties—two small, two medium, and two large—where phones would be off-limits all day.
Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican who shepherded the measure in the Senate, said that the various social dynamics in high schools warranted a test run before applying the rule universally.
Many remain unconvinced. Democrat from Miami Rep. Ashley Gantt expressed concern about pragmatic issues should phones be completely prohibited.
“If there’s a field trip that’s out of town and they go to some event and it’s out of town, (and) the kids don’t have their cell phones, parents won’t have the ability (to reach them),” Gantt said. Her concerns reflect a broader debate over balancing digital distraction with the very real need for families to stay connected.
HB 1105 brings major adjustments for charter schools as well as beyond cell phones. Any county under the new law that imposes a local-government infrastructure surtax would have to share a portion of the sales-tax income with charter schools, proportional to enrollment. Dropping the need for teacher approval would help to simplify the process of turning a conventional public school into a charter school, therefore only leaving parental endorsement as a barrier.
The bill now waits for executive action with both chambers in agreement. Should Florida sign into law, it would join a small number of states strongly opposing student smartphones. Supporters say fewer in-class distractions will increase concentration and knowledge; critics say an absolute prohibition has its own problems for family communication and student safety.
Either way, Florida’s classrooms could look—and feel—a bit more distant when the governor’s pen strikes the paper.
