What do DeKalb, Sycamore school leaders think of Pritzker’s cellphone ban proposal?

Public schools in Illinois could all be one step closer to adopting a statewide cellphone policy that bans the use of mobile devices during classroom instruction time.

Gov. JB Pritzker during his State of the State address in February proposed a statewide ban on cellphones in classrooms, though with some exceptions. The governor said he believes phones are a distraction to students. Private schools wouldn’t be included in the ban, which has not yet been approved.

More recently, the proposed legislation cleared a Senate committee and is awaiting a full panel vote.

If adopted, the legislation would require all public schools to have a cellphone policy in place by the start of the 2026-27 school year. Under Pritzker’s plan, schools would be prohibited from fining students, and law enforcement would be prohibited from punishing students for policy violations.

[ Pritzker wants Illinois to be latest state to ban cellphones in classroom ]

Schools also would be required to come up with their own rules for storing cellphones during learning time.

Several exemptions to the governor’s proposal include allowed cellphone use in emergencies, with teacher permission for educational purposes, or when a doctor requires a student to use their cellphone for medical reasons.

DeKalb

In DeKalb School District 428 schools, officials already have a cellphone policy in place.

DeKalb High School Principal Donna Larson emphasized that the district is less concerned about what state legislators want to push and more focused on its own students.

“I think the biggest piece is making sure we do what is best for our students,” Larson said. “Research has always stated that the focus time is better with those less distractions in the classroom, especially at the high school level with social media and things that are available to them instantly.”

The district’s existing cellphone policy acknowledged that cellphones “may be useful for parent/guardian/student/staff communication regarding District matters.” But the policy also states that cellphone use has the potential to disrupt the school environment.

Larson pointed to digital device use as one of the biggest distractions to DeKalb students.

“If you’re going to have to continue to challenge that as a classroom teacher every single day, that engagement piece is not there,” Larson said. “And then it’s just a slippery slope to deal with for the rest of that class period and then it goes into that quarter and then the semester.”

There are a few conditions under which students are allowed to have access to their cellphones on school grounds currently in DeKalb. Those may include: supervisory teacher grants permission; for a student’s individualized education program; during a student’s lunch period; in an emergency that threatens the safety of students, staff or other individuals.

DeKalb students in grades 6-12 may use cellphones during non-instructional time, such as before and after school and during lunch time, according to the existing policy. Pre-K through fifth grade students are not permitted to use cellphones on school property, from arrival to dismissal.

Larson said the cellphone policy appears to have helped students to engage with one another more.

“You can just feel a difference because students are actually interacting with each other,” Larson said. “They’re asking questions. When we’re asking our staff for some feedback, they’re noticing some feedback. They’re noticing more interactions. It’s definitely a different vibe here.”

[ How are DeKalb County schools monitoring cellphones in classrooms? ]

Sycamore

Sycamore School District 427 students aren’t expected to place their cellphones in their lockers during the school day, but they generally aren’t allowed to use them in classrooms either, according to the district’s policy.

Sycamore elementary school students aren’t supposed to bring a cellphone to the school at all, however.

The school district doesn’t prohibit middle school and high school students from bringing cellphones into school buildings but does restrict when they can be used. Students are expected to keep their phones away during class time, for example.

Asked what he thought of the governor’s proposal, Sycamore Superintendent Steve Wilder said he’d prefer the district be able to make its own policy decisions.

“In general, I always like to have the ability to make local decisions about our schools,” Wilder said “But, the governor’s proposal coincides with a growing number of districts that have implemented a full or partial ban of cell phones because of the impact it has on students’ mental wellness.”

Wilder said the district’s administrative staff have been monitoring the progress of the legislation proposed by Pritzker that could reshape student cellphone policies statewide.

Of those who’ve voiced opposition to the proposed policy changes, many have said they feel better knowing their children have access to their cellphones in the event of an emergency during the school day.

Wilder, who’s also a Sycamore parent, said he understands the concern but believes lines of communication can be kept open to district stakeholders without students having immediate access to cellphones during emergencies.

“I know that schools who have already implemented bans have been able to address this concern,” Wilder said. “Messages can get relayed to students, for example a doctor’s appointment. And the comments I’ve heard from other districts is that the improvement on students’ mental wellness has outweighed the benefit of students having their phones accessible.