The bell rings, and the hallway fills with chatter. In the cafeteria, friends catch up over trays of french fries and sandwiches. Instead of scrolling during a free period, classmates gather for a game of foosball.
At Scranton Preparatory School, and other schools that now require students to keep their phones in locked pouches, “life” has returned.
“We're giving them back a play-based childhood, instead of a phone-based one,” said the Rev. AJ Rizzo, S.J., Prep president. “You can feel that energy in the building, in even the short time that we've been doing this.”
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia started this school year with new restrictions, bringing the total to 35 states with laws or rules limiting phones and other electronic devices in school, according to the Associated Press.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg have discussed or proposed enacting legislation to limit cell phone use in schools. Across Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, rules on cell phone use vary greatly, from allowing students to use phones in hallways and the cafeteria, to requiring students to keep their phones in locked pouches.
Like Scranton Prep, students in the Wyoming Area School District in Luzerne County must lock their phones in a pouch when they enter the building. They stop by an unlocking station before leaving. The new policies received mixed reactions — but many students now realize how much time they devoted to checking notifications, sending a text or scrolling social media.
“A lot of the girls at our table would just scroll and listen to music and focus on something,” said Wyoming Area senior Emily Griglock. “It's different, but it's nice, because we all can talk about a million things, and it could be with one another or with the whole group. It's just nice to have everyone involved.”
Some parents oppose cell phone bans, worried about reaching their children in an emergency — or their children’s ability to call for help if necessary. School leaders say plans are in place to keep students safe and inform parents of any issues in a timely manner.
Locked up in Wyoming Area
Educators say having cell phones in school can lead to bullying, academic dishonesty and distractions. A 2024 survey from the National Education Association found that 90% of members supported prohibiting cell phones and other personal devices during instructional time. Slightly less, 83%, supported prohibiting cell phones during the entire school day.
After trying different rules and rethinking policies, Wyoming Area came to the same conclusion that Prep did this year: the cell phones had to go.
The district used state grant money to pay for the Yondr system — lockable pouches and stations where students can unlock their pouches at the end of the day. The pouches are about $35 each, and the district spent about $35,000 for the system, Superintendent Jon Pollard said.
Each student at the secondary center received a pouch at the start of the school year. Students are expected to place their cell phones, smart watches and earbuds in the pouch and lock it as they enter school. The pouches can only be unlocked at the end of the school day, at special stations located at the exits.
“It's a little bit noisier in the building now at different points, but it's noise of kids conversing, kids getting to know one another,” Pollard said. “There's a lot of fondness and recollection of our before cell phone times, and we're back to it now, at least from, you know, 8:00 to 2:30 every day in the Wyoming Area Secondary Center. So kids get to be kids again. Teachers get to do what we pay them to do, which is to teach, and the kids are here to learn.”
The policy had mixed reactions from students, who say they’re still adjusting to not having a phone during the school day.
Abigail Lachenmayer said she would often play games or listen to music at school.
“It takes a lot of getting used to, because I'm just used to going to grab my phone and check the time or check the date or scroll,” the senior said.
Emily said some of her peers have resorted to wearing something from the past: a watch — and not a smartwatch, but ones that are analog or those with a simple digital display.
“It's really weird seeing boys that you've never seen carry such things, and then they're looking at their time like they're from years ago,” she said.
Parents criticized the district last month, after a threat on a bathroom wall prompted an evacuation. The district did not allow students to retrieve belongings from their lockers or open their cell phone pouches until officially dismissed. Pollard said the district is still working on its communication and evacuation policies, but said students remained safe at all times.
Positive impact in Montoursville
The Montoursville Area School District had tried forcing students to keep their phones in their lockers or backpacks, or in holders at the front of each classroom. Inconsistent enforcement led to inconsistent results.
School directors of the Lycoming County district "wanted to ban cell phones to make the classroom environment better, teaching and learning better, and I felt the only way to realistically do that with what we've gone through in the past were the pouches,” Superintendent Daniel Taormina said.
Montoursville implemented the Yondr system in January. Without their cell phones, students realized how addicted they were to the technology.
“Some of them think they need it. Others say … ‘I'm not checking my phone constantly. I'm not being bothered during the day. I'm not worried about what people are saying about me online,’” Taormina said. “We've seen harassment and bullying incidents drop, because a lot of it occurred with social media posts or Snapchat.”
Discipline referrals dropped between 20-25%. The failure rate, or the number of students who fail a course, declined 37% after the cell phone ban.
“It has impacted the culture of the building. Kids are interacting again,” Taormina said. “It really had an impact on what we do.”
'Relief' at Scranton Prep
Senior Peter Durkin and his friends talked and laughed around their table in the cafeteria at Scranton Prep.
“Even in the hallways, it's louder, and in the cafeteria, everyone's talking … you're either doing your homework or you're talking with somebody. You're not scrolling on your phone,” Peter said. “I think it feels good, just because even if you put your phone in a cubby, you know you could still have it later. Now it's just like, all right, it's gone forever … for now.”
Last summer, Prep faculty and trustees read the book “The Anxious Generation.” Author Jonathan Haidt argues the prevalence of smartphones and social media has altered childhood.
In an article in “America, the Jesuit Review,” Rizzo explained a fundamental reason for the decision.
“At the heart of Jesuit education is not only the transmission of knowledge, but the recognition of what it means to be human,” Rizzo wrote. “To look people in the eye, to listen without distraction, is to affirm their dignity and worth as humans created in God’s image. In a culture where attention has become the most coveted commodity, undivided presence is a radical act.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning increased the reliance on technology for learning. Students at Prep have access to school-issued and managed iPads.
Jimmy McGrath teaches Latin, history and international affairs. He said not having to deal with cell phones in class is a “relief.”
“I feel like there's just a weight lifted off of the whole community. It's like we don't have this sort of constant burden as a presence,” the teacher said. “I just feel there is so much more opportunity for connection between me and the students and among themselves.”
Junior Hannah LaCoe called the ban a “culture shock.”
“Everyone wasn't really sure what to do. But now I think it makes us more productive, and we get a lot more done during the school day,” she said. “There's a lot more human interaction.”
The bell rang, and sophomore Willow McDonnell walked to her next period — not checking her phone.
“I like the fact that I'm not getting bugged 24/7 by my phone,” she said. “I'm not getting a million notifications while I'm trying to do my work, and that makes it a lot easier for me just to focus and do what I need to do."
