West Memphis School officials explain the consequences for students caught not following the cell phone ban across Arkansas.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When students in West Memphis return to school next Tuesday, they’ll be entering classrooms that look very different, at least when it comes to technology. For the first time, students won’t be allowed to access their cell phones during regular school hours thanks to a new Arkansas law.
The “Bell to Bell No Cell Act,” passed by state lawmakers during last year’s legislative session, prohibits the use of cell phones in Arkansas classrooms from the first bell to the last.
West Memphis School District Superintendent Eric Foister said while educators are hopeful the law will help reduce classroom distractions, uncertainty remains about how students will handle the change.
“We all know, it’s gonna be a big change for teenagers to [give up] their phones, heck, adults not having their phone all day is a big deal,” Foister said.
Cell Phones Locked Away
According to Foister, West Memphis High School students will be required to leave their phones in their lockers before the school day begins. He said junior high students will hand over their phones to homeroom teachers, who will lock them away until dismissal.
Under the new state law, the only exceptions to the rule are for emergencies or students with specific medical needs.
Consequences and Support
Foister told ABC24 the district is preparing for potential emotional pushback from students who are used to constant digital access.
“It’s still about education,” he said. “If we see that we’re gonna have some concerns or issues where students are struggling, we’re gonna follow our process, go see a counselor, and see whatever services we can provide for them.”
According to Foister, students who break the rules won’t be suspended, but consequences will escalate. He said the first offense requires a parent to retrieve the phone from the school. Continued violations could result in multiple days without the device.
“I’m not suspending a kid from instruction because they brought a cell phone to school,” he said. “We’ll do anything to go above and beyond to make sure that kid is still in front of a teacher every day.”
Different Rules Across the River
Across the river in Memphis, at Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), officials are enforcing a similar but stricter policy. The district’s board approved a rule allowing up to a two-day suspension for students caught using a phone or wireless device for a third time.
“We know that this is gonna be a learning curve, and so this is really to reduce the number of incidents, to increase the learning time that we have in schools,” said MSCS board member Amber Huett-Garcia.
According to Garica, just like any code of conduct policy, once broken multiple times, a student could face suspension. She said there are exceptions for students who have their cell phones.
“The principals have some discretion, but students who have IEPs or students who need devices for, let’s say, monitoring glucose or medical needs; they will be able to have those during the day,” she said.
Garcia told ABC24 that students will have their phones, laptops, smart watches, and other wireless devices stored in pouches, lockers, or backpacks throughout the day.
Watching for Impact
Both districts said they’ll be closely monitoring the effects of the policy in the months ahead.
