Gov. Pritzker Renews Push to Ban Cell Phones from Illinois K-12 Classrooms

It seems you can’t get Republicans and Democrats to agree on much politically, these days. But there is one issue both sides are looking to fix.

“It’s time to get cell phones out of the classroom,” said Governor JB Pritzker at his recent State of the State address.

During his annual address, Pritzker renewed a call he first made in 2025. The bill that could make that happen — Senate Bill 2427 — has already been approved by the Senate. Now, it needs to make it through the House before Pritzker can give it his signature.

“Nearly 75% of U.S. high school teachers say cell phone distraction is a major problem in their classes. It impairs students’ ability to focus, lowers test scores, harms mental health, facilitates bullying and disrupts the learning environment for other students,” said State Senator Cristina Castro. Castro introduced the bill in 2025.

While many supporters are wanting things to move full steam ahead, some experts are urging caution when crafting phone policies.

“Are cell phones disruptive if they start ringing in the middle of class? Of course. Or if TikTok goes off in the middle of class. Absolutely. However, I don’t think that any cell phone ban is going to change the reality that families use communication devices,” said Rebecca Hinze-Pifer, an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois.

Hinze-Pifer’s research at the University of Illinois focuses on school-based approaches to reducing social inequality. She said her research has shown her that policies are often only as good as their enforcement.

She said, unfortunately, some students face systemic biases while in school, and new avenues for discipline could target already vulnerable students.

“Race is part of this conversation. Gender is part of this conversation. Students who have a past history of getting in trouble tend to subsequently be disciplined more harshly. And so, when a school is thinking about a policy, the government can write a policy, but policies don’t usually say much about what happens next,” said Hinze-Pifer.

SB2427 does come with its own safeguards for students. It prohibits schools from using suspensions, expulsions, fines, or law enforcement to enforce cell phone policy. And, it allows for exceptions for cell phone use for things like translation, to manage a student’s health, or as a part of an IEP.

Hinze-Pifer said it’s a solid foundation, but warned that with how ubiquitous phones are, administrators are facing an uphill battle in keeping the distractions away from students.

“Ability to control doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try, but we should recognize the tall order they’re being given now,” said Hinze-Pifer.

If this bill passes, Illinois would join 35 other states and the District of Columbia in passing legislation to ban or restrict cell phones in schools. Should SB2427 be signed into law, schools would have to have those new cell phone policies in place by next school year.

This article was originally published by WCIA-TV.