BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Using a cell phone during class is now prohibited in North Carolina. That goes for any wireless device.
The goal of House Bill 959, which was signed into law Tuesday, is to have students pay attention in class and spend less time on social media.
Governor Josh Stein spoke on the topic via the following statement:
“When teachers don’t have to compete with cell phones for student attention, real learning happens. This bipartisan bill gives students a distraction-free learning environment so they can focus on their education, and it provides a seven-hour mental break from the unrelenting pressures of phones and social media. Earlier this month, my advisory council on student safety and well-being released its first report recommending this step and outlining best practices for creating cell phone-free classrooms. It will serve as a resource for our school systems as they implement these common-sense policies. I appreciate the general assembly’s work here. Let’s keep working together to set up North Carolina students for success.”
After Stein signed House Bill 959, phones and other items cannot be used during class unless a teacher uses them for a lesson or a student has a medical excuse.
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Every school board in the state must adopt a policy that matches that language.
Buncombe County Schools did so on Monday.
“Our board, about a year and a half ago, asked us to take a look at our cell phone policy,” Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson said. “We began to bring together students, parents and staff members. There were literally hundreds of voices to influence this policy. There were also tweaks in our policy that now mentions smart watches. When the policy was originally written, those weren’t the thing. This mentions earbuds and the communication through that.”
The law also requires districts to implement lessons about the use of social media and other security measures for internet access. All of the parents who spoke to News 13 about this are on board.
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“I think it’s excellent,” Danea Leigh, whose kids attend Franklin School of Innovation, said about the law. “There needs to be boundaries on cell phone usage, especially in schools.”
“I think it’s great,” Manny Llanos, of Wilmington, told News 13. “I think it’s less of a distraction. Most kids are on their phones all day.”
Likely, most districts will still allow phones and devices to be brought to school. Many parents, like Llanos, want their kids to have their phones within reach.
“As long as the phones are in the bags and powered off, but they have access to them in an emergency, then it’s fine,” he said.
The question isn’t about the intention of the law; it’s the execution of it.
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“[Students] have [phones] under the desks, in the hallways. They need to really keep the law upheld,” Leigh said. “They’re going to have to take them and put them in a cubby or something. How are they going to keep the law?”
That’s a point of emphasis for Buncombe County Schools, and likely many others, this summer.
“We need to be consistent of the implementation of our policies,” Dr. Jackson said. “That’s going to be one of our focuses with administrators this summer – ensure that consistency of implementation.
The expectation is that districts will pass the policy before the start of the next school year, but the law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026.