Credit: (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

School students could soon see improved mental health and fewer classroom distractions after New Jersey bans cellphone use in public schools.

Gov. Phil Murphy plans to sign the legislation into law Thursday at Ramsey High School in Bergen County. The bill restricts public school students from using smartphones and other devices with internet access throughout the school day. Signing the bill into law is among the top priorities for Murphy now in his final days in office after eight years as the state’s chief executive.

Murphy expressed his support for the proposal during his State of the State address last year and reiterated the need for these restrictions during an interview last month with NJ Spotlight News.

“If I had a wish list right now, it would be — and I’m praying that we get it to my desk — to sign a bell-to-bell ban of cellphones, which we would really like to get and I’m hopeful we will get,” Murphy told NJ Spotlight News in December. “That would be a game changer and the evidence is overwhelming.”

With the new state law, New Jersey would join a host of other states that have statewide policies banning or restricting cellphone use in schools, although these policies vary from state to state.

The move by Murphy and state lawmakers comes amid national and international concern surrounding children’s use of social media. Australia recently banned access to the internet-based platforms for children under 16 years old, becoming the first country in the world to do so.

In New Jersey, Assemblywoman Rosaura Bagolie (D-Essex), a primary sponsor of the legislation and superintendent of the East Newark School District, said in a statement that the bill will help to ensure that students are fully engaged in learning while they are in the classroom.

“While internet-enabled devices such as smart phones and tablets can be useful tools, the rise of social media has unfortunately caused significant harm to our learning environments,” Bagolie said.

“Our legislation is a response to what parents, teachers, and principals have consistently told us—they need our support. A4882 will ensure that we are doing our part to help educators and our students succeed,” said Bagolie.

The bill seeks to codify into law recent guidance from the state Department of Education that provides New Jersey public schools districts, charter schools and renaissance schools with guidelines for developing and implementing local policies regarding student use of smartphones and other devices with internet access.

The state guidance recommends, at a minimum, that schools limit the use of these devices during instructional time for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. However, the guidelines also encourage districts to limit student cellphone use throughout the full school day.

The current state budget allocates $3 million in grants to support “phone-free” schools.

Some New Jersey school districts already have these policies in place, with several using pouches to lock up phones throughout the day. Cellphone policies are determined by individual school districts.

In Jersey City, one of the state’s largest school districts, board members voted unanimously last year to ban cellphones in classrooms. Phones can be used during lunch and recess, but not during bathroom breaks, according to the policy. During class, they must be turned off or on airplane mode and stored in a student’s backpack or storage unit.

The policy includes exceptions for emergencies and for students with disabilities and health needs, which is in line with state guidance.

Norma Fernandez, the superintendent of Jersey City public schools, told NJ Spotlight News that since the policy has gone into effect, there’s been more socialization among students and a decrease in student suspensions.

“I applaud Governor Murphy for this statewide ban because now it provides the school districts with the tools necessary to say, ‘This is the state law, this is our board policy and this is what’s best for your child,’” Fernandez said in a recent interview with NJ Spotlight News before Murphy signed the bill into law.

While there has been pushback nationally on the effectiveness of cellphone bans in schools, Fernandez noted a decrease in the number of students expressing suicidal ideation in the Jersey City school district since their policy has gone into effect.

“I can’t say that there is no conflict between students. That’s part of the growing process,” said Fernandez. “But now it’s not captured … on a phone and then shared on social media, which really impounds the negative aspect of a conflict.”

Earlier this year, a state commission released a 47-page report titled “Growing Up Online” about the effects of social media use on adolescents. The report noted that while social media offers opportunities for connection, it poses serious risks including cyberbullying, sleep disruptions and declines in youth mental health. Among many other recommendations, the commission suggested that school districts adopt and implement policies that ban cellphones and social media in schools from “bell-to-bell.”

Robin Cogan, who was appointed by Murphy to serve on the commission, told NJ Spotlight News that the legislation is a “critical step” to protect students from the harms of unchecked social media and smart phone use.

“School nurses are on the front lines of this crisis, and this law gives New Jersey a powerful framework to create healthier, safer and more focused learning environments,” Cogan said.

The bill, once signed into law, will take effect at the start of the next school year in September.

— Hannah Gross contributed reporting for this story.