By: Meghan O’Brien
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) — The South Dakota Senate voted Tuesday to approve legislation that would ban student cellphone use during the school day, unless the use is for a health or educational purpose.
Members of the chamber voted 19-15 to approve the bill, after it was advanced by a Senate committee without recommendation. The bill will head to a House committee next.
Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, introduced the legislation.
“What we have today is uneven,” he said. “In some classrooms, teachers enforce restrictions, and others, they’re left to manage alone. That inconsistency is frustrating for educators, confusing for families and does not provide the best learning environment for our children.”
He said cellphones cause students to be distracted during the day, can contribute to declining academic performance and negatively impact students’ mental health.
Opponents said the state should trust school boards to make the decision that’s right for their students and educators.
“It’s not just about phones. From my perspective, it’s about our trust in local control, as well as trust in our school boards,” said Sen. Stephanie Sauder, R-Bryant. “This is not a one-size-fits-all situation.”
Joe Graves, secretary of the state Department of Education, said during earlier committee testimony that the department would include the policy requirement in its school accreditation process if the bill is signed into law. But he said the department wouldn’t monitor students or schools to ensure enforcement.
According to a South Dakota Searchlight survey last year, about 60% of districts do not allow cellphones for at least part of the school day, although in some schools, students can keep the devices in their backpacks or lockers. About one-third of the districts in the state remove or lock away high school students’ cellphones for at least part of the school day.
Thirty-eight states and Washington, D.C., have enacted some form of statewide restriction or requirement for districts to limit student phone use, according to a recent Stateline report.
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