TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Education on Thursday released updated guidance to help local school boards adopt “bell-to-bell” policies that prohibit students from using cell phones and other internet-enabled devices during the school day.
The updated Guidance for Schools on Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices is intended to assist districts as they implement recently signed legislation, P.L.2025, c.195, which requires every local board of education to adopt a policy banning students’ non-academic use of cell phones and personal internet-enabled devices during school hours, with certain exceptions. Local policies must align with the state guidance, officials said.
“By removing cell phones from New Jersey schools, we are ensuring our classrooms are a place for learning and engagement, not distracting screens that detract from academic performance,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “We are reaffirming our commitment to youth mental health, while providing the resources our education community needs to seamlessly implement phone-free policies in the upcoming school year. I thank Commissioner Dehmer and the New Jersey Department of Education for creating these guidelines.”
“Building on the landmark legislation recently signed, these guidelines are designed to help New Jersey’s school boards develop policies that will foster a positive school climate, improve academic engagement, and protect student well-being,” said Kevin Dehmer, Commissioner of Education. “These guidelines were developed thoughtfully, with significant stakeholder feedback, and are structured specifically to allow for local flexibility based on the needs and capacity of each local school community.”
The guidance provides examples of device storage options, including locked pouch systems, school-managed lockers or bins, classroom-based storage, or student-managed storage such as backpacks or lockers. While boards must adopt policies that comply with state law, districts will retain flexibility on how they put those rules into practice, including decisions about storage, supervision and enforcement, the department said.
Officials said the guidance outlines statutory requirements, policy considerations and implementation strategies, and includes recommendations tailored to different grade levels.
The department said it plans to develop additional resources for school districts, including implementation tools, sample materials and examples of district strategies, and will share more information as those resources become available.
