An effort to rein in student cell phone use in Colorado classrooms is underway at the Capitol.
The bipartisan legislative proposal isn’t mandating a statewide ban of phones in classrooms. Instead, it would require individual school districts to develop their own policies spelling out how and when students can use cell phones in schools.
Bill sponsors say while the devices can be used as a learning tool, cell phones are also taking a mental, emotional and academic toll on teenagers— and impacting their ability to socialize with their peers. School officials report many young people struggle with basic social skills like a back-and-forth conversation or voicing an opinion or joke without the phone as a vehicle.
“While they're a great technology and have so many positive impacts on our lives and on our kids' lives, they have proven to be a significant distraction in schools and are in many cases impeding the progress of kids,” said Sen. Lisa Frizell, a Castle Rock Republican and one of the bill’s sponsors.
Prime bill sponsor Democrat Rep. Meghan Lukens, who was a social studies teacher in Steamboat Springs, said some districts have very effective policies now but others don’t.
“We believe that this problem of cell phones in schools is simply too large to not have a policy in place,” she said. “The goal of this is to encourage and maximize student learning and we know that right now cell phones are inhibiting student learning.”
Lukens said she was inspired by a parent movement in the Eagle, Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties to limit the access of students to phones to increase learning. A key partner in developing the legislation is the Colorado Children’s Hospital, which has seen increases in youth with anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation connected to cell phones. Officials also report an increase in cyberbullying and exposure to harmful websites and messaging.
Policy would let districts develop a policy that fits the needs of their communities
About 19 states have cell phone policies, ranging from ‘strongly encouraging’ education boards to implement cell phone policies to requiring students to power off their phones during school hours.
Because Colorado is a state that gives local districts control over issues like curriculum and graduation requirements, the proposed bill would leave it up to individual districts to formulate their own policies. Districts could craft policies to allow teachers discretion in letting students use a phone for a specific educational purpose or they could implement bell-to-bell bans or allow phones during lunch, for example.
“All (the bill) does is really put the subject at the forefront for school districts and make sure that these policies are being created,” said Frizell. “This is about local control and I would not be on the bill if it weren't.”
Under the bill, policies would have to accommodate students with disabilities who rely on their phones to manage health conditions.
“I've had former students that have diabetes that use their cell phones to monitor their insulin levels,” said Lukens.
In addition, if a student has a special education plan that specifies they need access to a phone, for example, to access an assistive learning device, the policy must allow that. Policies would also cover smart watches.
Many Colorado districts don’t have policies
About a third of Colorado’s 20 largest school districts have adopted stricter cell phone policies in the last two years, according to an August analysis by Chalkbeat Colorado, an online education news site. Since that time, several other districts have adopted restrictions, including Boulder Valley School District.
Littleton Public Schools limits usage during school hours, while Colorado Springs School District 11 requires middle and high school students to store phones in locking pouches during school hours. Some smaller school districts have also implemented bans such as Aspen and Steamboat Springs with the goal of improving social interactions, mental health and promoting focused learning.
Some districts like Douglas County have a policy developed in 2013 that doesn’t require phones to be stored out of sight during class. The district is in the process of developing a new policy as addictive social media algorithms targeting youth have amplified.
The Douglas County School District.
Up to 95 percent of youth ages 13 to 17 report using a social media platform with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly,” according to a U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social media and youth mental health. Adolescents who spent more than three hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes.
Almost three-quarters of high school teachers nationwide felt phone usage was a major problem, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey. A survey of teachers by the Colorado Education Association found that in schools that had cell phone policies, just half felt they were effectively enforced. About 59 percent of Colorado teachers said student cell phones were disruptive to the learning environment.
Colorado teachers in districts without policies can be frustrated by a lack of guidance.
“Right now, a lot of the burden is on teachers,” Lukens said. As a teacher, she likens trying to control students’ cell phone use to playing “whack a mole.” She’d take a student’s phone in one class and the next period two more students would be playing on phones during the class.
In discussion with teachers who are in cell phone-free schools, Lukens said they tell her the policy “hands down is one of the best things that they have done in their entire teaching career to ensure students are maximizing their learning potential.”
One approach in Mesa Valley
Mesa Valley District 51’s cell phone policy drew the attention of Attorney General Phil Weiser for a roundtable of education leaders in September where he announced a new program to provide grants of up to $50,000 for school districts seeking to put in place their own phone policies.
The district has gained recognition for adopting a highly collaborative approach in creating its cell phone policy. Superintendent Brian Hill met regularly with students, teachers, principals and parents through advisory groups and listening forums. In D51, high school students place their phones in a pouch in the classroom while middle and elementary school students surrender their phones at the start of the school day and get them back at the end. High school students can use their phones during passing times and lunch, though such use is discouraged.
The district has built a measurement strategy to ensure that the policy does what it set out to do.
The nonprofit Colorado Education Initiative conducted a case study of D51’s policy as a model to provide guidance for other school districts seeking to adopt or adapt policies limiting the use of personal electronic devices at school.
Where will parents stand?
Hill said he did not get a lot of pushback from families and students have reported relief at getting a break from their phones. But a shift in policy can be challenging for a generation of students and parents used to being in constant contact with one another.
Substitute teacher Margaret Motz, who was a classroom teacher for 35 years, said students and parents sometimes complain about not being able to contact their parents in an emergency. She tells them, “you shouldn't be on your phone talking to your parents or texting your parents during an emergency. You should be following the emergency protocol.”
“And they say, ‘Oh, but I need to tell them I love them.’ Tell them you love them every day before you leave so that that's not something you're thinking about in the case of an emergency.”
Schools remind parents that they can call the school landline for emergencies.
“I know that parents want their kids to have maximum levels of learning,” Lukens said. “And we know that decreasing or limiting access to cell phones in classrooms really can help with learning.”
Bill co-sponsor Rep. Mary Bradfield, a former teacher and Republican representing El Paso county is confident the bill will draw wide support.
“Teachers and parents overwhelmingly support these restrictions, and similar policies have already succeeded in other states,” she said. “It is time for Colorado to take this step to prioritize education and student well-being.”
Under the current draft of the legislation, school districts must have cell phone policies in place before July 1, 2026. The proposed legislation is expected to be introduced shortly.
