BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — A bill permanently banning cell phones in Oklahoma schools is headed to the governor's desk.
The Bell to Bell No Cell bill prohibits cell phones and all personal electronic devices for the entire school day at schools across the state.
It passed as a pilot bill in 2025. It kept cell phones and personal electronic devices out of schools for the entire day.
Broken Arrow Freshman Academy is among the schools that made the switch, and the results have been notable.
The school district said the number of books checked out at the school library increased 15%. The school's principal said the hallways are louder between classes, with students talking face-to-face.
Malinda Silva, Broken Arrow Freshman Academy principal, said, "The thing that has been most exciting is the hallways are really loud at passing period. Whereas before they were pretty quiet and we only saw the tops of their heads. Now we see the laughing, the eye contact with one another, and they're actually connecting because they haven't spent all hour trying to connect with each other on a device."
Teachers also said students are more engaged in class when they don't use their phones to interact with classmates.
There have been some adjustments for students since the transition, and protocols are in place for cell phone violations.
If signed into law, the Bell to Bell No Cell bill would make the ban permanent for all Oklahoma schools.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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