Alabama students returning to school starting this week will encounter a few big changes — but none more immediate than a new statewide rule: Phones, earbuds and smartwatches must now be turned off and stowed away during the entire school day.
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High schoolers this academic year will also see two major shifts: A new graduation requirement starting with this year’s Class of 2026 and a second diploma pathway focused on career preparation.
Cell phone ban
The ban is the result of the FOCUS Act, short for Freeing Our Classrooms from Unnecessary Screens, passed by state lawmakers this spring to curb distractions and reduce the negative mental health effects associated with student device use.
Under the new law, all public K–12 school systems must adopt and enforce a policy that limits student access to wireless communication devices during instructional hours — including while students are in the hallway or eating lunch.
Alabama is among 31 states and the District of Columbia that prohibits or restricts students’ use of cell phones, according to Education Week.
Mental health
Research has shown that cell phones and other wireless devices can create major distractions, and may contribute to poor mental health among students. While most districts had policies in place to restrict cell phone usage during school hours, enforcement wasn’t always consistent or prioritized.
Under the new law, school boards were given until July 1 to pass their policy, meaning every district should have guidelines in place by the start of the school year.
The law says devices aren’t allowed in any public school building “unless the wireless communication device is turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car, or similar storage location.”
Some districts are sticking with the “off their person” language without pinpointing what “similar storage location” could be. Some districts are using a system of locking pouches – the most commonly known is the Yondr pouch – requiring students to lock up their phone until the school day ends.
Other districts are interpreting the rule in a less restrictive way.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Trisha Powell Crain and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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