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Michigan Bans Cell Phone Use in K-12 Classrooms

2/11/2026

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Whitmer Bans Phones

Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Governor, signed a law banning cell phone use during instructional time in public K-12 schools, effective next school year.
The bipartisan legislation, developed over two years, allows limited phone use during lunch and between classes.
Rep. Mark Tisdel and Sen. Dayna Polehanki said districts may adopt stricter policies.
Safety concerns from the 2021 Oxford High School shooting influenced the bill, with parents seeking emergency device access.

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Researchers Challenge Phone Policies

University of Birmingham researchers found that restrictive mobile phone policies in schools do not improve student mental wellbeing.
The study, conducted from 2022 to 2023 across 20 secondary schools, found no differences in emotions regardless of policy.
Strict rules required 102 hours weekly to enforce, while permissive policies required 108 hours.
Researchers call for new approaches to smartphone management due to current policies being burdensome and ineffective.

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Whitmer Bans Phones

Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Governor, signed a law banning cell phone use during instructional time in public K-12 schools, effective next school year.
The bipartisan legislation, developed over two years, allows limited phone use during lunch and between classes.
Rep. Mark Tisdel and Sen. Dayna Polehanki said districts may adopt stricter policies.
Safety concerns from the 2021 Oxford High School shooting influenced the bill, with parents seeking emergency device access.

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