Ohio Gov. DeWine Calls for Ban of Cell Phones in Schools.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine hosted a press conference Tuesday in support of legislation that would ban the use of cell phones in public schools in Ohio.

Sponsored by Sen. Jane Timken (R-Jackson Township), Senate Bill 158 incorporates language first introduced by Governor DeWine in his executive budget – prohibiting student use of cell phones during the school day.

“It’s clear that we need to get cell phones out of our classrooms,” said Governor DeWine. “The constant distraction of cell phones makes it nearly impossible for students to focus and learn. Not only do they negatively impact student performance, but they can also be harmful to kids’ mental and emotional health.”

SB 158 will expedite the implementation process – allowing schools time over the summer to update their policies to prohibit student use of cell phones in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year this fall.

The bill includes exceptions for students using a cell phone for a documented purpose as part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or for monitoring a health concern.

The Governor was also joined for the press conference by Dublin City Schools Superintendent Dr. John Marschhausen, whose district has been a leader in the push to remove cell phones from classrooms.

The Governor was also joined by Tina Husted, former Second Lady of Ohio and a champion for protecting children online. As Second Lady, Husted was a key supporter of Braden’s Law, which makes sexual extortion a felony offense in Ohio. Signed by Governor DeWine earlier this year, Braden’s Law, which was named after a 15-year-old boy from central Ohio who took his life after being victimized in a financial “sextortion” scam, officially takes effect Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

In addition to highlighting the work done to make Braden’s Law a reality, Husted discussed strategies parents can use to be more aware of what their children are doing on their phones.

Husted suggested serval steps parents can take to protect their child’s online health, including setting up parental restrictions, limiting a child’s activity on their device to less than three hours per day, and not letting a child sleep with their phone, among other suggestions.