We the undersigned propose the Des Moines Public Schools District develop and implement a universal K-12 bell-to-bell policy to ban cell phone use by students and restrict usage by teachers in its schools during the school day. Increasingly, research shows eliminating cell phone usage during the school day creates a more focused and productive educational environment. 
-A Pew Research study, conducted in the fall of 2023, found 72% of the high school teachers surveyed said cellphone usage in classrooms distracts students. 
-A May 2024 article written by Education Week cites research finding students get hundreds of notifications on their cellphones a day, often during school hours, which takes attention away from classroom experiences.
- A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that US teens spend on average 5 hours/day on social media, with 41% of these users reporting poor or very poor mental health. In contrast, this figure was only 23% for teens who use social media for less than 2 hours/day.
-Data from the Pew Research Center (2018) shows that 25% of teens report feeling addicted to their mobile devices, leading to an inability to focus during class.
-Minimal data exist that indicate that the absence of cell phones in the classroom creates a safety hazard for students or teachers.

Based on that growing body of evidence, we believe a cell phone free environment supports the Des Moines School Board’s stated goals and guardrails, specifically:
- “The Superintendent shall not allow the social emotional learning needs of staff and all students to be unaddressed”
-“The Superintendent shall not allow an environment in the classroom for both students and staff that is psychologically and physically unsafe and unwelcome.”

We the undersigned propose the Des Moines Public School Board vote to adopt and that the Superintendent and staff develop and implement a universal k-12 bell-to-bell ban on cell phone use in its schools as soon as possible to ensure a better learning environment for our children.