Public school districts across Arkansas will soon be able to lock away their students’ cell phones during school hours. The state Department of Education is providing seven million dollars to finance the purchase of bags and lockers.

The Arkansas Legislature will consider the restricted reserve fund request on Friday after the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Subcommittee approved it on Monday in a majority vote with some dissenting votes.

“With this initiative, we seek to create a phone-free environment and evaluate its impact on student learning, engagement and overall health,” Greg Rogers, chief fiscal officer of the Department of Education, wrote to Jim Hudson, secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration, requesting the funds.

The initiative to restrict telephone traffic is part a pilot program Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva announced the program in July. The program will also provide grants for mental health telehealth services, as well as assistance in finding mental health providers and navigating insurance issues. according to a press release.

Cell phone policies in Arkansas schools vary by district and classroom. While some teachers collect phones at the beginning of class, others allow students to access their devices after completing assignments.

The $7 million is an estimate of the cost of the locking devices based on the number of students in the approximately 180 school districts that applied to participate in the pilot program, said Courtney Salas-Ford, chief of staff at the Department of Education.

While school districts, not the state, are responsible for replacing the devices, metal lockers and magnetically sealed cloth bags “have a very long life expectancy,” Salas-Ford said.

The bags from EVERYONEa California-based company with a goal of creating “phone-free spaces,” can be locked and unlocked by separate release devices that are kept under adult supervision while students carry the bags with them at all times. In JulyAs part of its participation in the pilot program, the De Queen School District approved the use of the bags for middle and high school students.

Sanders has repeatedly called for reducing social media use among teenagers, raising concerns about depression and suicide rates.

Arkansas school districts consider implementing new state cell phone and mental health program

“Our country has been experimenting with unregulated smartphone use for more than a decade, and unfortunately the results have been absolutely devastating for our young people,” Sanders said at a press conference at Ardis Ann Middle School in Bentonville on August 8.

Bentonville West High School piloted a program last year that required cell phones to be silenced and put away during class. Leslee Wright, communications director for the Bentonville school district, said in July that the initiative had been a “remarkable success,” with 86% of staff reporting a positive impact. School administrators also saw a 57% decrease in verbal or physical aggression and a 51% decrease in drug offenses, she said.

YONDR CEO Graham Dugoni attended the press conference marking the launch of the pilot program one month after its announcement.

“One of his statements really stuck with me: This isn’t about taking anything away from students,” Sanders said. “It’s about giving students the freedom to enjoy a phone-free education.”

As part of the pilot program, the University of Arkansas’ Office for Education Policy will study how limited access to cell phones and social media may affect students’ mental health. A smaller group of districts from the pilot program will participate in the UA study.

In May, Sanders sent a copy of Jonathan Haidt’s book, The fearful generationto all state and territory governors in America and to Arkansas legislators. According to the July press release, she expressed support for four main goals: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more outdoor play and childhood independence.

Proposals to reduce smartphone use are gaining momentum across the country, including in California, Florida, Ohio and Indiana.

A law from 2023 The Sanders-backed campaign would have been the first in the country to require minors to get their parents’ permission before signing up for a social media account. A federal judge blocked the law last August, a few hours before the planned entry into force.

Arkansas lawmakers could introduce a bill in January requiring all districts to lock away students’ phones during the school day, Deputy House Speaker Jon Eubanks (R-Paris) said during Monday’s PEER meeting.