Cell phone usage has been a major issue throughout schools for years. Teens have become increasingly addicted to their phones every day, struggling to put their devices away for even an hour of class time. As of April 14, 2025, cell phone usage will no longer be tolerated in classrooms, and it is now an official state law.

On April 14, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed House Bill 2484, requiring schools to limit cell phone usage during classroom instructional time. Emergencies, medical conditions, and academic use (with teacher approval) are the only exceptions. Schools must also restrict access to social media platforms on school internet.

Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, was pleased to hear about the signing of the bill. “No teacher should be required to teach a class where the students are scrolling on their phones,” Horne said, noting that cell phone restrictions have been one of his “top priorities.”

For many schools, this is nothing new. Some school districts in Arizona and charter schools already have a phone policy in place. Phoenix Elementary School District said they have “away for the day” guidelines in place, requiring students to turn off their phones as soon as they get to campus.

While most parents seem to be on board with this new policy, others are giving the schools a difficult time. Parent Oscar Perez says, “Nowadays, kids just graduate school and not want to do anything. To me, I think it’s a good idea to take phones away so they could be really active in school and actually learn something.” Other parents are upset because they can no longer contact their child during school hours. Gov. Hobbs says, “When phones become a distraction, it makes it harder for our teachers to do what they do best, which is teach and inspire.”