Phone bans carry real costs
Districts already implementing device restrictions report nontrivial expenses—for example, Peoria District 150 spent about $250,000 on enforcement tools and New York allocated roughly $13.5 million to support rollout. (capitolcitynow.com) (capitolcitynow.com).
School phone bans are not just policy fights. Districts that enforce them are spending real money on pouches, storage and rollout plans. (wcbu.org) (governor.ny.gov) Peoria Public Schools District 150 approved nearly $250,000 in June 2024 to buy as many as 9,000 Yondr pouches for students. The pouches lock when snapped shut and open only at magnetic stations outside phone-free areas. (wcbu.org) New York built the cost into state policy. Governor Kathy Hochul said on May 6, 2025 that the fiscal year 2026 budget set aside $13.5 million for storage solutions as the state moved to bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions for the 2025-26 school year. (governor.ny.gov) Illinois lawmakers are debating the same issue now. A bill still moving in Springfield would require public and charter schools to restrict phones during class time, with elementary and middle schools facing bell-to-bell limits and high schools allowed to set rules for lunch and breaks. (nprillinois.org) The money question has slowed the bill before. NPR Illinois reported that last year’s version stalled in the House after concerns about enforcement and exceptions, and the revised measure now spells out carveouts for medical needs, individualized education programs and English learners. (nprillinois.org) Districts also have to decide how strict a ban should be before they decide what it costs. Governor Hochul’s plan lets schools choose lockers, cubbies or pouches, while Peoria chose locked pouches that let students keep phones on their person without using them. (governor.ny.gov) (wcbu.org) Supporters say the spending buys quieter classrooms and fewer distractions. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office told The Associated Press in February 2025 that at least 10 Illinois districts with screen-free policies were reporting students were more engaged and attentive in class. (capitolcitynow.com) Critics and school safety consultants say enforcement can be harder than passing a rule. Stateline reported in February 2025 that some experts warned outright bans may be unrealistic or difficult to enforce, especially when teachers are expected to police them all day. (stateline.org) Peoria’s superintendent, Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, said the district expected some early pushback, including possible attendance and discipline problems, before students adjusted. She said parents could still reach children through the main office or email during the school day. (wcbu.org) The Illinois bill still needs full House approval and then another Senate vote because the House changed it. If it passes, the next fight will not be whether schools should restrict phones, but who pays to make the rules stick. (nprillinois.org)
