A new MassINC poll shows most Massachusetts parents support banning student cell phones during the school day. But the same survey finds many also want clear guidance on how parent-student communication would work under such a policy.
In Framingham, school leaders say that question is already shaping early discussions about how a statewide school cell phone ban could be implemented locally.
“We’ve gotten into a world where parents want 24/7 access to their kids, and I understand that,” said Framingham Superintendent of Schools Robert Tremblay. “Undoing that is going to be a challenge.”
The MassINC Polling Group survey of 1,351 parents of K-12 children, including 890 parents of middle and high school students, found that 66% support banning student cell phone use throughout the school day. At the same time, 63% said they want clarity on parent-student communication, and 49% said they want a detailed explanation of policy exceptions.
Those findings come as lawmakers weigh a bill, backed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, that passed the Senate in July and now awaits action in the House. If enacted, the legislation would require all public school districts to adopt “bell-to-bell” cell phone bans by the start of the 2026-27 school year, prohibiting student access to personal electronic devices throughout the day, including lunch and recess.
The bill includes exemptions for medical needs, disabilities, individualized education plans and off-campus learning requirements, and requires districts to provide at least one way for parents and students to communicate during the day.
Cell phone restrictions are increasingly becoming the norm
Momentum around cell phone restrictions has also been building nationally. At least 32 states and the District of Columbia now require school districts to ban or restrict student cell phone use, according to an Education Week tally, while several other states encourage or incentivize local bans.
With about a year to prepare if the bill becomes law, Tremblay said Framingham has begun mapping what implementation would require, including enforcement tools, costs and communication with families.
“Parents will ask, ‘How am I going to reach my child?’” said Tremblay. “What about after-school plans, or if there’s a lockdown? Those questions will undoubtedly come up.”
Framingham Public Schools does not currently have a formal, districtwide cell phone policy. Instead, expectations are largely left to individual schools and teachers, with phones expected to be put away during class. Cell phone use is permitted during free periods, and the district does not track violations.
“We don’t have anything specific as a policy,” Tremblay said. “It’s more of an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach right now.”
Even under that looser framework, Tremblay said he has not seen widespread cell phone misuse in classrooms. He pointed to a recent visit to a seventh grade class where students remained focused throughout the lesson.
“I didn’t see one student pull out their cell phone,” Tremblay said. “They were fully engaged in that class.”
Tremblay favors teaching responsible use rather than bans
That experience has sharpened his skepticism of one-size-fits-all enforcement tools — particularly Yondr pouches, a locking system used by some districts. Tremblay said the pouches are expensive, logistically challenging and easy to circumvent, with students able to place a decoy phone inside while keeping their real device.
Any enforcement system, he added, would also involve budget trade-offs.
“If you’re spending money on one thing, you’re not spending it on something else,” Tremblay said.
Still, Tremblay said he favors teaching responsible cell phone use rather than relying solely on strict bans, warning that rigid policies could lead to rebound behavior once phones are returned at the end of the school day.
“If we don’t teach the skill of controlling cell phone use, then restrictions can turn into a binge moment when students get their phones back,” he said. “It’s about building a life skill, not being punitive.”
Teachers say cell phone use remains difficult to manage
In classrooms, educators say cell phone use remains difficult to manage without clearer, more consistent limits.
Christine Mulroney, president of the Framingham Teachers Association and a former special education middle school math teacher at the Walsh Middle School, said cell phones were a persistent distraction.
“They're designed to capture and hold attention,” she said. “Even for the most dedicated students, it’s hard to shift back and refocus. There’s minutes of instructional time lost there.”
Mulroney testified at the State House this summer alongside Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, when the Senate considered the bill. Mulroney said teachers broadly support a uniform, statewide standard.
“Different policies per classroom or per building just makes it more confusing for students,” she said. “So universal policy would really help districts enforce a cell phone ban.”
'Educators need students to be attentive'
Mulroney also emphasized that Framingham is a one-to-one technology district, where every student already receives a district-issued Chromebook for instructional use.
“They certainly don’t need cell phones for learning,” she said.
Natick High principal says school will continue "parking lot" cell phone policy
While acknowledging parents’ concerns about communication, Mulroney said unrestricted phone access can undermine instruction — and safety.
“Educators need students to be attentive to the educator, not to be worried about texting their mother,” she said.
For now, Tremblay said Framingham is not adopting a new policy while the bill remains under consideration. But the district has already begun drafting an implementation timeline in case it becomes law. That planning would include School Committee discussions, parent, student and community input, and clear public messaging to explain how any new policy would work.
“There needs to be opportunity for student input, parent input, community input,” Tremblay said. “This can’t just be flipped overnight.”
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