South Carolina adopts ban on use of electronic devices during school day

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina’s Board of Education on Tuesday approved a policy barring students from using electronic devices during the school day, giving districts until January to draft local rules or risk losing state aid.

“Research and feedback show that the widespread use of smartphones in schools has created serious academic, mental health, and discipline challenges,” State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said in a statement. “With this policy, South Carolina students will be free to focus on their academic future and building life-long friendships in a safe environment, while South Carolina educators are free to focus on teaching.”

“During the school day, students are prohibited from accessing their personal electronic
devices, unless authorized for classroom use. Students may not wear or access device
accessories during the school day, language in the policy says.

Students must store their devices and device accessories in lockers, backpacks, or otherwise as directed by the school district during the school day. Districts may forbid student possession of devices and device accessories on school property.”

Horry County Schools spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said district officials are expected to discuss the policy in the coming weeks. News13 has asked all of the school districts in our coverage area about how they plan to address the new policy.

Between May 27 and June 7, 9,738 teachers responded to a four-question survey, sent to all educators statewide, about their experiences with student cell phone use in their schools. The responses spanned 4,816 elementary, 2,834 middle, 1,785 high and 303 administrative and support staff. Teachers also had the opportunity to provide open-ended feedback on the topic. Major themes of their responses are described below.

Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Virginia and major cities including New York and Los Angeles have all either banned or are planning to bar electronic devices in classrooms, according to S.C. Department of Education data.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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