US schools ban ‘rampant’ post-pandemic cellphone use

Phones in schools lead to lower academic achievement and more fights, studies find. — Dreamstime/TNS

WASHINGTON: When Florida officials in May issued a statewide ban on using cellphones in classrooms, administrators in one county felt they did not go far enough.

In a unanimous August decision, Orange County's school board – overseeing one of the largest districts in the country – barred the use of cellphones or smartwatches at any time during the school day, including at lunch or between classes.