North Scott School District Tests Out Phone Ban This May

Cell phones are not only a distraction but a deterrent to development in the classroom -- Kim Reynolds

Governor Kim Reynolds New Bill

On January 24, 2025, Iowa Governor passed a bill to ban cell phones

in all Iowa school districts. The bill passed unanimously in the Iowa senate, and as of July 1, 2025 all districts must have phones banned at their schools. 

North Scott Tests Out Ban Early

Starting May 1, North Scott has been asked by the state to be a guinea pig school, along with a few other districts across the state to test out the new ban on cell phones. This will only last the last month of the school year. Students will be expected to leave phones in their car or at home, and if a student is suspected to have a cell phone on them they are subjected to a search. North Scott has always had a rule about phones in the classroom being put away in phone holders, but it has been lightly enforced. Our school should be proud we were selected to test run this new bill for the betterment of Iowa schools. 

While people have raised concerns about students being able to contact parents throughout the school day, it has been made clear that students may use their email accounts to communicate with parents when needed. Our school provides all students with Chromebooks and it has always been the expectation that students use these over phones. 

Phones Leave Negative Effects on Teenagers

Reynolds has explained her reasoning behind the ban, and how the removal of phones will benefit the education system in Iowa. On average teenagers spend six hours a day on their phones. Cell Phones take away from learning in the classroom and are a big distraction from learning. Reynolds explains this is the bare minimum she can do for schools, and is following after other states who have taken on this same ban in classrooms. 

April Fools!

Just kidding, this is for April Fools; however, next fall there will be a phone ban in Iowa schools, but North Scott will not be implementing this in May.