Updated Feb. 10, 2026, 12:23 p.m. ET
- Michigan will implement a statewide policy banning smartphone use in classrooms starting in the 2026-27 school year.
- The new law requires school districts to create policies prohibiting phone use during instructional time, with some exceptions.
- Exceptions include use for medical needs, specific lessons, special education, and emergencies.
Starting next school year, Michigan will have a new statewide policy banning smartphone use in classrooms, following in the footsteps of many states that have enacted similar restrictions with the goal of limiting digital distractions from learning, and addressing cyberbullying.
House Bill 4141, signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday, Feb. 10, requires Michigan school districts to develop a policy that prohibits K-12 students from using phones, tablets and computers during instructional time. It creates some exceptions, including for medically necessary devices and those used for special education programming or for a specific lesson. The policy also allows students to use their devices in an emergency situation. Senate Bill 495 requires school districts to update their emergency plans to include a protocol outlining when and how students can use cell phones and other devices in an emergency.
“Our action today will help Michigan students succeed,” Whitmer said at an event at Waverly High School, near Lansing. “We know phones impede students’ ability to learn.”
Whitmer specifically pointed to social media as being a barrier to staying focused in class, noting surveys in which teachers have raised concerns about increased social media use leading to cyberbullying.
Whitmer called for the policy in her 2025 State of the State address, but her goal of seeing legislation passed last year faced hiccups in the divided Michigan Legislature. However, lawmakers moved quickly at the start of a new year to advance the legislation to her desk.
Some Michigan school districts already have some type of phone ban in place. The new statewide requirements — which will take effect starting in the fall of 2026 — sets the floor for the now mandatory device policy, but districts could choose to adopt stricter policies if they wish. Most states have school phone restrictions in place, including some with so-called bell-to-bell bans barring phone use during the entire school day, according to Phone-Free Schools State Report Card.
Under Michigan’s classroom phone ban, districts could allow students to use devices during recess or lunch, for instance.
Bill sponsor, state Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, originally proposed a bell-to-bell ban for elementary and middle school students, describing it as the “gold standard.” But a legislative compromise resulted in the modified policy and the addition of an exception of device use for emergencies, another sticking point in negotiations. During House committee testimony on his bill, multiple school administrators shared that emergency responders have expressed concerns about student phone use from distractions it can cause during an evacuation process to overwhelming 911 lines.
Another bill sponsor, state Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, previously said supporting a bill preventing students and parents communicating in the instance of another school shooting in Michigan was a non-starter for her. “Can’t do it, won’t do it,” she said in a phone interview last August. Whitmer also expressed concerns about preventing parents from communicating with their child to ensure their safety ahead of the legislative debate.
Student attitudes toward phone bans differ depending on the restrictions, according to a review of recent surveys by Chalkbeat, with less support for bell-to-bell bans compared to a classroom ban. Tisdel previously said he doesn’t mind student blowback from a Michigan phone ban. “I don’t feel bad being the bad guy. If 14-year-olds want to hate me, I’ll still sleep at night. I’ll be ok,” he said in a phone interview last August.
School phone bans are relatively new. One recent study found that a Florida school district observed an improvement in student test scores following the restriction. Anecdotes from around the U.S. also tell a story of students reading more without their devices at school.
Free Press Lansing Bureau Chief Paul Egan and staff reporter Arpan Lobo contributed.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
