Georgia Bans Phones in Schools K-8  By: Lianna Oldham

Elementary and middle schools in Georgia are trying a new approach by banning the use of phones in school. According to CBSnews, “Beginning in the summer of 2026, Georgia will officially be added to that list thanks to a bill signed into law in May by Gov. Brian Kemp, which bans cellphone use among students in K-8 schools. DeKalb County, however, has its own rules that are stricter than the state mandates in order to include high schools in the cellphone ban. Some other counties are doing this as well.” At Hillgrove High School, students are taking note of the new phone ban and its impact on school life. Senior, Tabitha Zapata, expresses what she would change about the ban, “I would change that like, we don't need to ban phones, but like, maybe, like, during like, class, like, if there's like, certain times that, like, you're actually doing work and teachers want you to pay attention, like, you could put your phone up, like, in your book bag, or, like, up on the wall or something, I don't think we should ban it because, like, there's like, times during school that, like, we need our phones, like lunchtime, or, like, just time, like in class, like We're not we're not able, like, we're not learning anything and we finished our work. Like that would be like, a perfect opportunity to use your phone or something.”Junior, LeKeith Pressley, expresses his thoughts on whether the ban would extend into high schools., “I don't like it at all, because I need my phone so, you know, I can talk to my friends and all that.” 

The new law may encounter challenges in certain classes. According to 11Alive, “The new law restricts cell phone use in schools for students from kindergarten through eighth grade and subjects violators to school sanctions, rather than criminal penalties. The bill implies that teachers will have to give the law its enforcement teeth.”  Freshman, Josie Wilgus, expresses how she uses technology in a classroom, “Usually, for me personally, I use it to record lessons. So, like, when the teacher's talking, I can record and if I don't have enough time to take notes, I'll play it back and then listen to it later. But yeah.”  The new phone ban brings concerns and support from Hillgrove Students. As middle school and elementary school continue to adjust to the changes, the debate over how to balance technology and education remains ongoing.