After Cellphone Ban Success, New Hampshire Takes Aim At Classroom Screen Time

By Damien Fisher, NH Journal

The success of New Hampshire’s “bell-to-bell” school cellphone ban has the state looking at other ways to use technology more effectively.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a cellphone ban champion, kicked off the first meeting of the School Screen Time Task Force this week, saying it is time to look at every screen used in schools.

“We worked together to get the cellphones out of our schools and to make sure students could focus more on learning and also interacting with each other in our schools. And now we really need to look at how else are we using technology in the schools. Are we using it to help enhance children’s learning experiences, or are we using it in ways that are counterproductive?” Ayotte said Wednesday.

The New Hampshire Department of Education assembled a team of teachers, parents, students, school and district leaders, health professionals, technology experts, and community members from across New Hampshire to serve on the task force. Members will review how digital technology is being used in schools, consider the benefits and challenges of screen use in educational settings, and develop recommendations for future guidance and potential policies while respecting local decision-making.

“There is growing interest among families, educators, and health professionals in understanding how screen time affects student learning, development, and overall well-being,” said NHED Commissioner Caitlin Davis.

The ban went into effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year and was an immediate success. The first year saw fewer classroom distractions, fewer disciplinary incidents, improved socialization among children and better grades, according to the first annual report.

“Most educators reported that students appeared more focused, less distracted, and more socially engaged since the new cell phone policy was introduced. About a third of teachers and about a third of administrators reported improvements in discipline problems and academic outcomes,” the report states.

Megan Tuttle, president of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association, told NHPR this summer the policy is giving kids back their childhood.

“Kids are taking out games during lunchtime. They’re playing cards with each other,” Tuttle said. “Just those little things that are happening again that really weren’t happening before.”

Davis said the cellphone ban’s success gives leaders reason to examine how students use other screens in class and whether there are opportunities to make changes.

“Technology has become an integral part of education, particularly since the pandemic. This task force will help us take a thoughtful, balanced approach by examining where technology enhances learning, where it may create challenges, and how schools can best support students.”

The task force will examine the educational benefits and appropriate uses of instructional technology; the effects of screen time on student learning, engagement, mental health, physical activity, sleep and overall well-being; age-appropriate approaches to technology use in classrooms; strategies that support healthy learning environments while maintaining access to technology that enhances instruction; and screen time policies being considered and enacted across the country.

A report from the task force will be presented to NHED later this year, and its findings could influence future policies or proposed legislation on school technology.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.