Kearny educators report better student focus and more face-to-face interaction as
statewide restrictions take effect
By Jaimie Winters
In Kearny’s middle school hallways, students have a familiar routine: arrive at school, head to
their lockers and put away their cellphones for the day.
The district-wide practice in Kearny predates New Jersey’s implementation of a statewide bell-
to-bell cellphone ban this year. The new law makes the expectation clear: personal internet-
enabled devices are to stay out of students’ hands throughout the school day not just in the
classroom.
At Kearny High School, Principal Curtis Brack said the school had also been limiting cellphone
use in the classroom before the state mandate took effect. The high school had introduced
classroom phone storage gathering restricting unnecessary device use during instruction. The
statewide policy only formalized and strengthened those practices, Brack said.
At Lincoln Middle School, where a cellphone policy began in 2022, Principal James Hempel said
the stricter, all-day approach has reinforced the collection that began as classroom ban.
Now, with the statewide requirement in effect for the 2026-27 school year, Kearny’s experience
offers an early look at how schools are enforcing the restrictions — and whether removing
phones is changing the classroom environment and students’ interactions with one another.
“I would say there was an immediate change noticed in the frequency of student conversations,”
Hempel said.
Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation establishing the statewide policy, P.L. 2025, c.
195, requiring public school districts to adopt policies prohibiting students from using personal
internet-enabled devices during the school day, subject to authorized exceptions.
The rules cover more than classroom instruction. Students are expected to keep devices out of
use during lunch, recess, and other portions of the regular school day. Districts determine how
to store devices and establish procedures for enforcing their policies.
In Kearny, officials said the statewide bell-to-bell ban makes phone restrictions part of the daily
routine rather than leaving teachers to repeatedly enforce a classroom.
A routine built before the statewide mandate
At Lincoln Middle School, students store their phones in their lockers upon arriving at the
building, Hempel said. They enter at 8:01 a.m. and have until 8:10 a.m. to reach their first-period
classes.
The school has not experienced significant transition bottlenecks or an increase in tardiness due
to students having to store their phones, he said, crediting the cooperation of faculty and staff
and the convenient placement of lockers.
Dismissal is less hurried, allowing students additional time to retrieve their devices before
leaving.
Before the statewide policy, Lincoln teachers collected phones in pouches at the beginning of
each class. Students received their phones back between periods, leaving opportunities for use
during transitions.
Under the current system, phones remain stored for the school day.
Hempel said the change has also reduced opportunities for students to use their phones
between classes, when they previously risked having devices confiscated for violating
classroom restrictions.
With approximately 1,700 students at the high school, consistent enforcement is a particular
concern at the high school.
“The goal has been to make compliance part of the normal school routine rather than creating a
process that requires teachers to spend a significant amount of instructional time policing
phones,” Brack said.
The administration uses a three-strike process for students referred for cellphone violations,
allowing teachers to focus on instruction while ensuring that violations are handled consistently.
Teachers report greater attention and fewer disruptions
At Lincoln Middle School, a teacher survey offers some early evidence of how educators view
the policy.
Of 62 respondents, 100% said the policy had been effective, and 100% said it should continue
in its current form. Another 97% reported increased student attention and engagement since
implementation, while 88.7% reported a decrease in classroom disruptions. The same
percentage said students were consistently following the policy.
The results reflect teachers’ perceptions, rather than an independent measurement of academic
performance or student achievement.
“The cell phone policy is the absolute best thing and I am happy to see it implemented,” one
teacher wrote.
Another said students were no longer walking through hallways between classes using their
phones.
Brack said Kearny High School teachers have similarly reported that students are more
consistently available for instruction and more engaged in lessons and discussions.
Administrators have observed students paying closer attention to teachers, instructional
materials and classmates, he said.
“When students know that the device is not available to them during the instructional period,
there are fewer opportunities for notifications, social media, texting, or other distractions to
interrupt their attention,” Brack said.
Neither principal provided figures demonstrating changes in grades, assignment completion or
standardized test performance. The early feedback instead centers on classroom behavior,
attention and participation.
More conversations, fewer screens
The effects may extend beyond academics.
At Lincoln Middle School, Hempel said the school noticed more student conversations when its
original restrictions began in 2022. The new policy has further reduced opportunities for
students to retreat into their phones during the school day.
A Lincoln School teacher reported noticing less gossip in class, while another praised the policy
for teaching students accountability and consequences.
Brack said Kearny High School is also seeing students talk and interact more with their peers in
hallways, classrooms, and the cafeteria.
“It is important not to overstate the change after only a short period of implementation,” Brack
said, adding that the school will continue gathering feedback from students and staff as the year
progresses.
The early observations, he said, are consistent with the school’s goal of creating more
opportunities for face-to-face interaction.
“At the high school level, those interactions matter,” Brack said. “School culture is shaped not
only by what happens during instruction but also by the relationships students develop with their
peers and adults throughout the day.”
Families and enforcement
The transition has also required communication with parents, who may worry about reaching
their children during the school day.
At Lincoln Middle School, Hempel said families have been supportive since the school
strengthened its cellphone policy in 2022. He cited the school’s emphasis on student safety and
the addition of Kearny Police Department School Resource Officer Janitza Aquino as factors
reinforcing that commitment.
At Kearny High School, Brack said parents expressed support during a parent information night.
“We believe the policy will help students focus,” one parent said, according to Brack.
Another parent voiced concern about the amount of screen time their child was experiencing
each day.
Brack said those comments reflected a shared responsibility between families and schools to
encourage healthier technology habits.
State rules allow exceptions for authorized circumstances, including qualifying medical needs
and accommodations outlined in an Individualized Education Program, a Section 504 plan, or a
prescribed healthcare plan. Device access is also permitted during active emergencies or
threats of danger.
Enforcement at the high school follows a progressive disciplinary process, Brack said.
For a first offense, a student’s phone is taken to the main office for the remainder of the day,
and the student receives a verbal warning before retrieving it at dismissal.
A second offense requires the phone to be held in the office until a parent or guardian picks it
up. The third offense also requires parent or guardian pickup and notification. At that point, the
student may be required to turn in the phone to the office every day or be prohibited from
bringing it onto school grounds for the rest of the school year.
Further violations can result in additional disciplinary consequences, including suspension,
consistent with the student code of conduct and district procedures.
At Lincoln, Hempel said students have generally complied with the expanded restrictions,
including the prohibition on other internet-enabled devices covered by district policy. The school
has not yet encountered problems involving decoy phones or smartwatches, he said.
Both principals emphasized that the goal is not to confiscate devices but to establish consistent
expectations and allow students to concentrate on learning and relationships.
An early picture, not a final verdict
Kearny’s experience suggests that schools with established cellphone restrictions may find it
easier to implement the statewide mandate than schools starting from scratch. Established
routines, communication with families, and consistent enforcement have helped the district
avoid major logistical problems so far.
For now, Kearny’s principals say the most noticeable changes are in the everyday moments that
make up a school day: fewer phones in classrooms and hallways, more attention during
instruction, and more opportunities for students to talk with one another.