HAMILTON, Mont. – Schools across Montana are revisiting their cell phone policies as they prepare for the 2025-2026 school year. The discussions come after Governor Greg Gianforte’s letter last summer asking schools to adopt cell phone-free environments.
Hamilton High School is making changes to reduce distractions in the classroom. Principal Marlin Lewis explained, “We really want to stop the distractions for kids when they’re in classes, so smart watches, phones, all that kind of stuff will go in caddies.”
Previously, Hamilton School District allowed electronics with teacher discretion. Under the revised policy, students can keep phones in cars before and after school and during class changes to maintain communication with parents. Christine Lewanski, Legal and HR Director for the district, said, “And I think it’s a reasonable expectation that parents in this day and age can reach their children during the school day… but I think this is a real reasonable compromise to be able have the students have that access and reach out to their parents and vice versa.”
Belgrade School District also restricted cell phone use during instructional time this past year. Superintendent Dede Semerad stated they plan to review their policy at a meeting later in July. “One of the reasons we’re going back and looking at our policy is to revisit and give more specificity to where cell phone are permitted and where cell phones are not permitted. I think living with this policy for a year we saw there were some holes in it, that we could be more explicit,” she said.
Governor Gianforte’s office released a statement emphasizing the importance of minimizing distractions in schools, stating, “The governor believes that in order for Montana students to reach their full, outstanding potential, school districts should seek to remove distractions and disruptions in our schools, a place where students should be focused on learning. Gov. Gianforte is encouraged school districts across Montana are adopting cell phone-free policies to enhance learning environments and encourage relationship building.”
