Students in some Department of Defense schools will see more restrictions on using their cellphones or other portable electronic devices in their schools, according to the proposed fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
Some schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity already prohibit the use of cellphones in schools, but the policies aren’t consistent across DODEA, according to a Military Times spot check of some schools’ handbook policies.
The legislative provision requires DODEA to update existing regulations to “prohibit disruption in the learning environment by minimizing the use of such mobile devices to the greatest extent practicable, and to standardize such regulations across all DODEA schools.”
DODEA operates 161 schools in 11 foreign countries, seven states and two territories.
The proposed NDAA has been approved by the House and now awaits the Senate’s vote.
A common policy statement viewed in several schools’ current student handbooks was “Cellphones may be brought to school but must be turned off and stored in the backpack or locker during the school day. In cases of emergency, students may contact their parents by using the phone in the school office.”
Policies about cellphone use are clearly outlined in each school’s student handbook, said DODEA spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry. “With that guidance already in place, implementation is managed at the local school level based on community needs. Overall, cellphone use is not a systemic issue in DODEA,” she said. “Our focus remains on promoting responsible use through consistent citizenship and helping students make smart, informed choices in today’s connected world.”
States across the country are addressing students’ cellphone use. At least 32 states and the District of Columbia have required school districts to ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones, according to Education Week. There are ongoing concerns about distractions from learning.
When asked about students’ cellphone usage during a recent interview with Military Times, DODEA Director Beth Schiavino-Narvaez cited her recent visit to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when she visited all six DODEA schools at that base.
“Honestly, I didn’t see a cellphone in any of the kids’ hands in any of the six schools. We have guidance and our students are great at following that guidance. We want kids engaged in their learning, and that’s what I saw,” she said.
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Fort Campbell schools are part of the DODEA Americas region, where DODEA operates 50 schools in seven states, two countries and one territory. Their regional policy stated on the DODEA website is that cellphones must be turned off and stored in backpack or locker during the school day.
Others, like Edgren Middle High School at Misawa Air Base in Japan, have variations in their policies. Edgren allows students to use cellphones at their discretion during non-class time.
The new provision requires DODEA to update and standardize the regulation across all its schools no later than 180 days after the law is enacted.
“Cellphones don’t belong in the classroom, and students learn best when these distractions are removed,” said Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., in a statement about the inclusion of the provision in the negotiated agreement between House and Senate lawmakers. “This provision will ensure DODEA students are able to focus on what matters most: their education,” said Banks, who originally introduced the legislation in the Senate in June along with Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
“Last month, I said we should ban cellphones in all K-12 schools in America, and now we have started down that path by banning cellphones in DoDEA classrooms,” said Slotkin, in an announcement in July about the Senate Armed Services Committee’s approval of the measure.
“With over 65,000 military children attending DoDEA schools worldwide, it’s critical students in DoDEA schools have an environment where they can focus, learn, and build meaningful relationships without the distraction of cellphones.”
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book “A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families.” She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.