Gov. Mike DeWine to sign legislation restricting cellphone use in Ohio schools

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will sign legislation to reduce student cellphone use in schools on Wednesday.

The Ohio House passed the bill last week. It will require K-12 school districts to create a policy to reduce cellphone distractions and limit cellphone use as much as possible during school hours. Schools that don't want to create their own policy can use a model from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

DeWine called for schools to restrict cellphone use in his State of the State address in April.

"What is happening today is bad – and if you don’t believe me, talk to a teacher. Talk to a principal. Talk to a superintendent. They will all tell you how distracting phones are in the classroom and how negatively they can impact a child’s mental health," he said.

DeWine will sign the act at Karrer Middle School in Dublin.

The act will take effect on July 1, 2025.

This story will be updated.

Erin Glynn is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio governor will sign act requiring schools restrict cellpones