What We Know: Springfield Public Schools is entering its second year with a bell-to-bell student cell phone ban, just as a similar requirement takes effect statewide.
Under Missouri law, public and charter school students cannot use or visibly display personal electronic devices from the beginning to the end of the school day.
What It Means: For Springfield students, that’s nothing new. SPS put essentially the same rules in place during the 2025-26 school year.
District spokesman Stephen Hall says the response has been largely positive. He says students are spending more time talking face-to-face during lunch and between classes instead of looking at their phones.
What’s Next: School officials also say removing phones from classrooms helps cut down on distractions and allows students to focus more on learning.
The SPS policy includes cell phones, smartwatches, wireless headphones and earbuds. Those devices must remain powered off and stored out of sight from arrival through dismissal.
Parents and students will receive more information about the policy and other school rules as the new school year gets underway.
(Logo Courtesy of Springfield Public Schools)