On Thursday, Jan. 8, Governor Phil Murphy visited Ramsey High School in Bergen County to sign legislation (S-3695/A-4882, P.L.2025, c.195) requiring all school districts in New Jersey to adopt policies restricting the use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices in K-12 schools.
“With today’s bill signing, we are ensuring New Jersey schools are a place for learning and engagement, not distracting screens that detract from academic performance. In schools across our state, from Ramsey to Woodbury, we have seen the positive impact of phone-free policies,” said Governor Murphy. “Teachers report that students are more focused, less anxious, and they are socializing and laughing with each other — not through a screen — but in hallways and classrooms. By eliminating unnecessary distractions, we are fundamentally changing our schools’ learning environments and encouraging our children to be more attentive and engaged during the school day. This is a sensible policy that will make a world of difference for our children.”
Throughout the legislative process, the New Jersey School Boards Association advocated for local flexibility in device policies and is encouraged that the final version of the law will allow principals and chief school administrators to authorize device use under certain circumstances. The Association was invited to a bill signing ceremony at Ramsey High School on Jan. 8 and was included in the governor’s press release.
“On behalf of the New Jersey School Boards Association, we welcome this legislation as it provides our districts with clear guidance to create learning environments where students can focus on academics and meaningful peer interaction. School board members across the state have heard from educators about the challenges posed by constant device access in classrooms,” said Dr. Timothy J. Purnell, executive director/CEO of NJSBA. “This law empowers our schools to prioritize instructional time and student engagement, and we look forward to working with our districts to implement these policies effectively.”
Under the new law, the Commissioner of Education will develop guidelines in consultation with various stakeholders, including the NJSBA. The guidelines will prohibit the non-academic use of internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the school day. Specifically, the guidelines shall, at a minimum:
- Provide age-appropriate and grade-level differentiated guidelines concerning limiting and prohibiting student use of internet-enabled devices.
- Prohibit non-academic use of an internet-enabled device on school grounds during the school day.
- Be consistent with state and federal law, including accommodations provided in a student’s individualized education program, section 504 educational plan, or student health plan.
- Address permitting student use of cell phones in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger.
- Authorize student use of an internet-enabled device on school grounds during the school day, or during school-sanctioned events, only under certain circumstances listed in the bill.
- Address internet-enabled devices and cell phones with only text or voice.
- List options that may be utilized by a board of education for device storage.
- Provide guidance for a board of education to establish network-based restrictions to prevent the use of, or access to, social media platforms.
- Detail protocols for communicating the board’s policy concerning student use of internet-enabled devices to students, their families, and teaching staff members.
NJDOE is reviewing its previously published Guidance for Schools on Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices and anticipates publishing updated guidelines in mid-January following consultation with stakeholders. District policies must go into effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
