Cell phones could be banned in all New Jersey public schools. That’s at least what state’s governor Phil Murphy is expected to call for during his annual State of the State address, which he’ll deliver around 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Reports from multiple outlets (including the Philadelphia Inquirer) say that during the address, Murphy will issue a directive that calls for every school district in the state to develop a policy that would ban mobile devices during school hours.

He's expected to call on the state’s Department of Education to develop guidelines based on the grade level for enforcement of this policy, they say. 

Essentially, however, the policies would likely restrict the use of smartphones, smartwatches, and any type of cell phone during regular school hours and school-sanctioned events.

READ MORE: Should Cell Phones Be Banned in NJ Schools?

Murphy is not expected to go into specifics for a plan today, but legislation has already been proposed by the state’s assembly.

Under those proposals, each district would be able to adopt their own policy.

So it is possible that some schools may opt for a plan that allows students to keep phones in their possession, but they’d be locked until the end of the day. That is similar to how some concert venues have banned cell phones in recent years.

Other implementation may require students to keep the devices in their lockers or backpacks. Exceptions, of course, could be made for health issues.

Educators have been expressing concerns about how distracted students are from their mobile devices.  Other states have already enacted similar bans including Florida, California and South Carolina, reports say.

In fact, it's estimated that about 90% of teachers support prohibity student cellphone use during instructional hours (via a 2024 National Education Association NEA poll). 

 

If passed, the New Jerseyschool districts would be expected to enact policies banning the devices for the first full school year following passage.

This is a developing story. Governor Murphy is expected to issue comments on this during today's State of the State Address in Trenton. 

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