New Jersey to Reward Schools That Ban Student Cellphones All Day
New Jersey is now offering financial incentives to school districts that adopt a strict “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban for students in grades six through twelve. Under the newly announced Phone-Free Schools Grant Program, districts that enforce policies requiring students to turn in or store their internet-enabled devices at the start of the school day and return them only at dismissal will be eligible for state funding. The initiative aims to curb distractions and ease pressures linked with student phone use in classrooms.
Districts that qualify for this program will receive at least five hundred dollars, with additional funds determined by the number of applications the state receives. Schools already enforcing more lenient rules—such as allowing phone use during lunch, hall breaks, or between classes—will not qualify for the grant. Participating districts must provide secure storage systems for devices, such as lockers, bins, or locking pouches, and use grant funds to purchase related technology and software. Training for staff on consistent implementation of the policy is also covered under the program.
While no state law currently mandates phone restrictions in schools, this effort signals New Jersey’s push toward unified policy standards. The state’s education officials are urging school boards to commit to total device storage during school hours. The application deadline is October 31. It is yet unclear how many districts will be awarded grants or what the maximum funding per district might be.
Some districts have already moved toward this model. For instance, Ramsey High School now requires students to seal their phones in lockable pouches throughout the day. Meanwhile, Jersey City school leaders recently passed a rule requiring devices to be turned off or placed in airplane mode during class—but the policy stops short of full-day storage.
This grant program emerges in the context of growing national concern over the impact of widespread phone access in schools. State commissions studying the influence of social media on adolescents have called for stricter restrictions, citing links between phone use and reduced academic focus, increased distraction, and mental health risks such as anxiety and mood disruption.
By incentivizing all-day bans, New Jersey may become a model for other states grappling with how to balance student connectivity with educational effectiveness. The success of this initiative will depend on how well districts can adopt equitable, consistent enforcement and whether the grants are large enough to support the necessary infrastructure and training.
Sources
New Jersey Department of Education announcement
NJ media coverage and education reporting
State commission report on adolescent social media impacts
