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Phones in school

At least 1 in 14 of the 4,162 school board meetings we read in the past year dealt with phones in school.

Spreadsheet: all 4,162 meetings read, 352 marked yes
8.4%of meetings (90% range of our count 7.5%⁠–⁠9.5%)
352meetings
222districts

We catch about 8 in 10 meetings that discuss this (90% range 62%⁠–⁠96%); counts are floors.

Clips

Board members on phones in school

My concern, Trustee Escamilla-Greenwald, is we've got inconsistency around cell phone policy, it's entirely possible we— in fact, I know for a fact we have inconsistency in how technology is being used in the classroom. Um, and, and, and, and I, I just don't think we've examined it as a board.Joe DiNunzioTrustee · Davis Joint Unified Board of Education · May 7, 2026Watch the full meeting from 2:41:05
First, there are— there will still be personal electronic devices that will not be prohibited, uh, such as laptops and iPads. So there has to be a scope of conduct for the use.Keita Kalonji JohnsonSchool Board Member · Susquehanna Township School District School Board · Aug 3, 2026Watch the full meeting from 46:23
By state

Meetings where we found phones in school, state by state

Of the 4,162 checked meetings the issue check read since Nov 1, 2025 · alphabetical, not ranked: we haven't measured how much of each state our count catches, so states can't be compared on these floors · the quiet band is each state's 90% range · a state needs 30+ meetings from 5+ districts, and a state that is mostly one district is named with that district

  1. California10.8% · 6%⁠–⁠16% · 342 mtgs
  2. Colorado13.2% · 8%⁠–⁠20% · 68 mtgs
  3. Connecticut4.1% · 1%⁠–⁠8% · 121 mtgs
  4. Georgia8.8% · 3%⁠–⁠15% · 34 mtgs
  5. Illinois8.8% · 5%⁠–⁠13% · 215 mtgs
  6. Indiana19.2% · 13%⁠–⁠25% · 156 mtgs
  7. Louisiana0.0% · 0%⁠–⁠7% · 36 mtgs
  8. Michigan10.3% · 7%⁠–⁠15% · 213 mtgs
  9. Minnesota5.1% · 1%⁠–⁠10% · 116 mtgs
  10. Montana8.1% · 1%⁠–⁠25% · 37 mtgs
  11. New Jersey24.0% · 18%⁠–⁠31% · 250 mtgs
  12. New York5.2% · 3%⁠–⁠8% · 478 mtgs
  13. North Carolina7.6% · 3%⁠–⁠14% · 91 mtgs
  14. Ohio2.4% · 0%⁠–⁠5% · 248 mtgs
  15. Pennsylvania11.0% · 7%⁠–⁠15% · 244 mtgs
  16. Texas1.2% · 0%⁠–⁠3% · 241 mtgs
All 47 states
  1. Virginia4.1% · 1%⁠–⁠7% · 146 mtgs
  2. Washington12.0% · 6%⁠–⁠19% · 124 mtgs
  3. Wisconsin11.6% · 7%⁠–⁠16% · 231 mtgs
  4. Alabama— 25 meetings read
  5. Alaska— 9 meetings read
  6. Arizona— 7 meetings read
  7. Arkansas— 7 meetings read
  8. Delaware— 4 meetings read
  9. Florida— mostly one district: Brevard School District, 1 of 2 meetings
  10. Idaho— 19 meetings read
  11. Iowa— mostly one district: Cedar Rapids Community School District, 1 of 3 meetings
  12. Kansas— mostly one district: Topeka Public Schools Unified School District 501, 6 of 14 meetings
  13. Kentucky— mostly one district: Beechwood Independent, 1 of 4 meetings
  14. Maine— 10 meetings read
  15. Maryland— mostly one district: Kent County Public Schools, 6 of 11 meetings
  16. Massachusetts— 5 meetings read
  17. Mississippi— 16 meetings read
  18. Missouri— mostly one district: Springfield R-XII School District, 1 of 11 meetings
  19. Nebraska— 11 meetings read
  20. Nevada— 17 meetings read
  21. New Hampshire— 26 meetings read
  22. New Mexico— 24 meetings read
  23. North Dakota— 18 meetings read
  24. Oklahoma— 11 meetings read
  25. Oregon— mostly one district: David Douglas SD 40 School District, 1 of 6 meetings
  26. South Carolina— 18 meetings read
  27. South Dakota— 6 meetings read
  28. Tennessee— mostly one district: Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, 3 of 13 meetings
  29. Utah— 21 meetings read
  30. West Virginia— 9 meetings read
  31. Wyoming— 24 meetings read
The map

Every district we read, sized by how many of its meetings discussed phones in school

South Hunterdon Regional School District, NJ 9Davis Joint Unified, CA 7Kent County Public Schools, MD 6

One point per district at its Census location · 9 of 1,114 districts have no Census point · one colour, no sides · How we count

Discussed, and who came to speak

Where phones in school came up, against how many members of the public speak

131030100+Typical district 0%Many speakers, rarely discussedMany speakers, often discussedOften discussed, few speakersPublic speakers per meeting ↑↑ Public speakers per meetingSan Francisco Unified 16%, 32.3 a meetingOakland Unified 22%, 15.2 a meetingCherry Hill Township School District 38%, 10.3 a meetingDavis Joint Unified 63%, 9.7 a meetingSouth Hunterdon Regional School District 75%, 1.8 a meeting
← Less often on phones in schoolMore of its meetings →

Also discussed at 125 more districts where we read fewer than 6 meetings:

In the news

At least 590 news articles found by search, Oct 29, 2025 to Oct 28, 2026

Districts that discussed it most

South Hunterdon Regional School District discussed it at 9 meetings, more than any other district.

9 of 12South Hunterdon Regional School District NJmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings7 of 11Davis Joint Unified CAmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings6 of 11Kent County Public Schools MDmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings6 of 14Topeka Public Schools Unified School District 501 KSmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings5 of 11Carmel Clay Schools INmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings5 of 13Cherry Hill Township School District NJmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings5 of 20Kenosha School District WImeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings5 of 22Oakland Unified CAmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings4 of 12Hammonton Town School District NJmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings4 of 17Riverview School District PAmeetings that discussed it, of the district’s meetings
The meetings behind this number

All 352 meetings, newest first

Showing the newest 100

Spreadsheet: all 4,162 meetings read, 352 marked yes