Jonesboro schools working to implement ‘Bell to Bell, No Cell Act’ requirements

Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — June 17, 2025 — With the “Bell to Bell, No Cell Act,” also known as Act 122, scheduled to go into effect in August, Jonesboro schools have begun to plan for the upcoming changes.

The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Feb. 20, prohibits using smartphones and other personal electronic devices like smart watches during school hours in all Arkansas public schools beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

In a press release issued Jan. 29, Sanders had said the state had seen a “staggering rise in mental illness among young people over the past decade.”

“The culprit is clear: unrestricted access to smartphones and social media. After the overwhelming success of our phone-free schools pilot program, it’s clear that it’s time for Arkansas to ban smartphones, bell to bell, in every school in our state,” Sanders said.

Public school districts must publish their cell phone policy on their website, including policies and exemptions concerning cell phones on school property and at school-related functions. However, districts must also provide exemptions for health reasons, individualized education programs (IEPs), after-school extracurricular activities, and emergencies.

Sanders launched the phone-free schools pilot program last summer and participating districts received funding to purchase containers for students to store their devices and experience a phone-free education.

According to new Jonesboro Public Schools superintendent Misty Doyle, JPS was one of the first districts to participate in the pilot program.

“We implemented a no cell phone policy during the 2024-2025 school year as part of a pilot program through the Governor’s office,” Doyle said. “We had great success with this program last year as we saw fewer distractions in the classroom.”

According to the school’s possession and use of personal electronic devices policy, students cannot access a personal electronic device during the school day, unless required by a student’s IEP, 504 plan, or individual health plan. Students can also have them during an emergency, if issued by the district for use during the day or as part of a special event.

Discipline will include having the device confiscated. The student’s parent or legal guardian can pick up the device at the school’s administration office.

“We will review our policies with parents, students, and staff to ensure consistency and successful implementation throughout the district,” Doyle said. “I know a lot of students have become accustomed to using their electronics in school. Do you expect much resistance to the new policies by students, parents, or faculty members?  Last year, we experienced minimal resistance.  While it was a change for our students, they adjusted quickly.”

New Westside Consolidated School District superintendent Chris George said he believes the new act is great in theory.

“Cell phones, at the high school level especially, are a distraction to our students and teachers,” George said. “In anticipation of this act, we cracked down harder on phones this past year. I am not quite sure how our middle school handled things, but at the high school, until last year, students could have their phones out in class with teacher permission.”

“Our policy said it was at teacher discretion. It was supposed to be for educational purposes only, but that was not the case on many occasions,” he continued. “For 24-25, we changed our policy so that cell phones were not allowed in class, for any reason at all. Students could have them out before and after school, and in the halls in between classes. If phones were out, they were taken up and turned into the office. Parents were required to come to school to pick the phones up.”

George added that the district’s policy will be discussed in the next board meeting, however the principals have their policy proposals ready to go.

Pending board approval, the policy for high school students must have their phones turned off and, in their bags, or vehicles. Middle school students will be required to have their phones turned off and secured in their lockers. For middle and high school students, phones cannot be used anywhere on campus during school hours.

Elementary students are to keep them in their backpacks and are to turn off their devices upon entering the school. Phones cannot be in the student’s body in pockets for any level student.

The minimum consequence will be confiscation of the device and requiring a parent to pick it up. The maximum consequence will be in-school suspension.

Geroge said the district will be making social media posts and sending text messages informing parents of the act’s requirements.

“Students will resist as they always have. It will be up to admin and teachers to consistently address this for it to be effective. Students will be trying to hide the phones and access them in restrooms and other unsupervised areas. Our parents get frustrated having to come pick the phones up, but ultimately, I believe that helps reinforce the reason not to have the phone taken up in the first place,” he said. “It gets on the parent’s time to get involved in the issue. Faculty members must understand they are making things tougher for everyone if they do not enforce the policy like others are doing.”

Valley View Public Schools superintendent Roland Popejoy said he feels the law intends to remove potential learning barriers caused by distractions from personal electronic devices.

“The absence of these devices provides the opportunity for students to focus on learning while also engaging in genuine face-to-face interactions with peers,” Popejoy said. “In previous two years, the procedures for secondary students was for students to place their phones in a holder as they came into the classroom each day to protect the instructional time from distractions that might occur from student use during the class period. Teachers in our district previously did have the discretion to allow students to use their cell phones for educational purposes, as needed during a class period.”

According to Popejoy, the biggest adjustment for students in the district will be students not having access to their personal devices during passing periods or at lunch. The law expands the definition of a personal electronic device to smartwatches, meaning students will also not be allowed to use them.

“Our district is currently working to finalize its policy to follow this new state law.  We will soon begin informing our parents and students about the upcoming changes via social media announcements as well as through our district mobile app and other communication channels,” Popejoy said.

Popejoy said one of the biggest concerns was communicating after-school plans or other pertinent information during school hours. He said during those cases, students have access to school-issued devices, allowing that information to be sent via student email. He added that parents can call their student’s building office with questions.

Students can still have their phones with them, provided they are turned off and stored in a backpack or locker. They can be used at practices, after-school events, or in emergency situations.