Utah Enforces Bell-to-Bell K-12 Phone Ban July 1 as Study of 4,600 Schools Shows Mixed Results
Updated
Updated · Deseret News · Jun 15
Utah Enforces Bell-to-Bell K-12 Phone Ban July 1 as Study of 4,600 Schools Shows Mixed Results
3 articles · Updated · Deseret News · Jun 15
Summary
July 1 marks the start of Utah’s stricter K-12 public school cellphone ban, extending the default restriction from class time to the full school day unless districts adopt looser rules.
2026 lawmakers tightened the policy after educators, students and Gov. Spencer Cox argued the 2025 class-time ban did not go far enough to curb distraction.
A National Bureau of Economic Research study covering about 4,600 schools found bell-to-bell bans sharply reduced phone use but produced near-zero average test-score gains over the first three years.
First-year effects were uneven: disciplinary incidents rose slightly and student well-being fell before improving by year two, while attendance, chronic absenteeism, bullying and classroom attention showed little measurable change.
High schools saw modest math gains, but middle school effects were generally small and negative, underscoring that Utah’s broader ban may take years to show whether it improves learning.