New Jersey Is Latest State to Ban Student Phones in Schools

Neil Vigdor, The New York Times

New Jersey, a latecomer in a growing national movement to curb distractions in classrooms, on Thursday joined a growing list of states to restrict student phones in public schools.

Gov. Philip D. Murphy signed what he called a bell-to-bell ban into law during a ceremony at Ramsey High School, 12 days before he is scheduled to leave office.

The law will take effect during the 2026-27 school year and requires education boards throughout the state to adopt rules that prohibit the use of cellphones and other “internet-enabled devices” throughout the school day. It is an effort to ensure that students are not distracted by text messages, doomscrolling, TikTok and Candy Crush during class.

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