Arizona schools double down on student phone-use rules

Gov. Kate Hobbs signed the bipartisan bill — HB 2484 — into law in April. Most bills signed by the governor are set to become law 90 days after Arizona’s legislative session ends for the year, which was June 27.

“Education requires attention, and attention is exactly what today’s students are being robbed of by addictive devices and endless scrolling,” Rep. Beverly Pingerelli, the bill’s sponsor, said in a news release.

The new law states that access to school-provided internet should be governed by schools and restrict access to social media platforms. It says students should, however, be able to access devices for medical purposes or to contact parents and guardians.

Most school districts across Pima County already have phone-use policies that abide by the law. However, district leaders say schools will need to begin enforcing them more this school year.

“Any student that violates the policy, their phone can be confiscated and they’ll be subject to disciplinary action,” said Tucson Unified School District governing board president Jennifer Eckstrom. “As it stands now, we believe that we’re in compliance.”

TUSD currently requires students to keep phones and electronic devices turned off during instruction time and out of view in a locker, pocket or a carrying bag unless a teacher allows otherwise.

Some parents may be relieved by the bill requirement to allow students to still have access to their phones in case of an emergency, said Marana School District governing board president Hunter Holt. He said parents often worry about what would happen during an emergency, and there’s been nothing to legally dictate access until now.

Holt said the district has seen anxiety rise in students as well when they aren’t able to see their phones during class time.

“What we’ve come up with in our district is there’s a basket or check-in area where students can see their phone, but don’t have it physically on them,” Holt said. “They can easily have it accessible if needed or at the teacher’s direction.”

Sahuarita Unified School District superintendent Manuel Valenzuela said while the district is in compliance with the law, there are still some issues with managing and restricting smartphone access.

The district will work more with the community this year through meetings and community dialogues to address balancing modern-age technological needs with the distraction and mental health factors of electronic devices, he said.

“The overarching issue here is that technology is continuing to grow and evolve in an exponential rate, and it’s our duty to prepare students for the world of today and tomorrow,” Valenzuela said. “Technology has some areas of emerging concern, such as issues with social fragmentation, attention fragmentation, some correlation with mental health issues and even some addictive properties.”

Sahuarita currently has a 1:1 ratio of Chromebook laptops to students, according to Valenzuela, as the district tries to integrate technology into teaching and learning strategies.

“That’s kind of the goal, is to find that balance point and communicate it with clarity so that all of us in the school community can operate on the same page together,” Valenzuela said.

Vail and Amphitheater School Districts also have phone-use policies in place that require students to put away devices unless instructed otherwise.