Less TikTok and texting, and more history and geometry could be coming for D.C. students as legislation is proposing a ban on cellphones for D.C. public and charter schools.
Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto introduced the “Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act of 2025” on Monday.
In a statement, she wrote, “Removing distracting devices during the school day will better equip our students to focus, empower our teachers to teach, and ensure that our kids are engaging with one another in person which will benefit them and their outcomes for years to come.”
The bill would require public and charter schools to have a policy that prohibits cellphones, personal laptops, smartwatches and gaming devices during school hours. Enforcement of the policy would be left up to the school.
Students would be permitted to use the devices in emergencies or for managing health.
Pinto said suffering test scores prompted the bill. Just 34% of District students met or exceeded expectations in language arts and literacy. For math, 22.8% of students met or exceeded expectations.
Today, I introduced a new bill to prohibit cellphones and personal wireless devices during the school day in order to remove digital distractions in the classroom and increase educational outcomes for District students.
We must remain focused on supporting a learning… pic.twitter.com/1lxYNUndRq
— Councilmember Brooke Pinto (@CMBrookePinto) January 27, 2025
Pinto also argued that social media use on campus has led to “detrimental impacts on mental health and the escalation of conflicts in our schools.”
Pinto pointed to a recent survey from the Washington Teachers Union on cellphone use in schools that found 83% are against cellphone use in schools.
A similar poll conducted by the National Education Association found that 90% of teachers countrywide support prohibiting student cellphone use during instructional hours.
A bill that’s similar to the one proposed in D.C. was passed by the Arlington County School Board last month.
Last July, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order that directed the state’s education department to guide local public schools to adopt cellphone-free policies.
Other states like Florida, Indiana and California have moved toward prohibiting cellphone use during school hours.
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