Cellphone ban means less drama, more focus for some North Dakota students

Michael Achterling, The Bismarck Tribune

AAs students entered their classrooms at Simle Middle School in Bismarck the morning of Sept. 17, they instinctively went to the back of the room where a wall hanger with numbered pockets was attached to a cupboard door, waiting for their cellphones.

They slipped their phones into one of the numbered slots, one after another, then took their seats.

No fuss. No comments. Straight into the business of the school day.

North Dakota schools implemented a bell-to-bell cellphone restriction for the 2025-26 school year after state lawmakers passed the ban during the 2025 legislative session with the backing of Gov. Kelly Armstrong.

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