Next school year, under a new law, kids across Pennsylvania will see a bell-to-bell ban on using their cellphones.
But in Pittsburgh, nothing will change.
A new Pennsylvania law
requires schools to create policies to prevent students from using their phones while schools are in session. Exactly how phone usage is restricted is up to individual schools or districts, and policies don't need to be implemented until next school year.In Pittsburgh, this type of policy was already passed at the end of 2025, requiring kids to turn their phones in to school personnel at the start of every school day. Here's what that looks like.
Pennsylvania passes school cell phone ban
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed a bell-to-bell school cellphone ban into law on Oct. 26, according to his office.
The
law will require schools around Pennsylvania to create and implement policies that prevent the use of cellphones during the school year beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
The legislation received bipartisan support in both the state senate and house and amends the Public School Code of 1949 to add language about restricting phone usage in schools.
Are cellphones banned in Pittsburgh schools?
Yes, cellphones were already banned in Pittsburgh's schools prior to the passage of Pennsylvania's law.
In December 2025, Pittsburgh Public Schools Board voted to ban the use of phones by students during the school day.
According to the policy, students are prohibited from using cellphones during the school day and must turn them in to school personnel while school is in session. The policy also bans students from taking or sharing photos or videos of people on school property.
There are exceptions to the policy, such as in cases where students require their phones for emergency reasons or for approved classroom activities. Students whose Individualized Education Program plans or Section 504 plans require the use of a phone may also use their cellphones.
What states are banning cellphones in schools?
Around the U.S., numerous states had already banned cellphones in schools by late 2025, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and others, ABC News reported.
This year, Indiana and Kansas banned phones during the day, implementing policies that require students to keep their phones in inaccessible locations through the entire school day.
Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming passed or updated less restrictive legislation on phones in schools, according to an analysis by the Becca Schmill Foundation, the Institute for Families and Technology, Smartphone-Free Childhood US and Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation.
Do cellphone bans work?
Cellphone bans help keep kids off their devices, but they don't appear to impact test scores, attendance, self-reported classroom attention or perceived online bullying, according to a study published in April by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Additionally, researchers found that during the first year of a cellphone ban, disciplinary incidents rose and students' reported well-being fell, though the effects subsided as the years passed.
Regardless, there's a push for bans nationally, with the U.S. surgeon general's office warning on in May that "compulsive" screen usage is linked to poor sleep, substance abuse, developmental disruptions and social, mental and behavioral issues. The office suggested that cellphone bans in schools are a way to help curb excessive screen time.
N'dea Yancey-Bragg contributed to this report.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pittsburgh sees no changes under PA's school cellphone ban
