I am a high school student in Oregon, and I am asking Governor Kotek and state leaders to reconsider the new statewide phone ban in schools (Executive Order 25‑09).

The Legislature’s earlier attempt, House Bill 2251, passed the House in April but stalled in a Senate committee in May, partly due to concerns about resource strain and parental communication. With the bill dead, Governor Kotek acted via executive order to ensure statewide consistency.

The order requires every school in Oregon to ban personal cell phones and smart devices during the school day by January 1, 2026. School districts have until October 31st, 2025 to decide how they are to enforce this policy regardless of how well students have managed their devices in the past or what works best for individual school communities.

I believe this decision should be made by each school or district, not forced statewide.

Many students, including myself, use our phones responsibly for communication, safety, mental health support, or managing assignments. A complete ban doesn’t consider the unique needs and realities of different students, schools, or families. In case of lockdowns, school shootings, or medical emergencies, students and parents want immediate access to each other.

I respectfully ask that the governor:

    1.    Allow individual schools to create their own phone policies with input from students, families, and staff.

    2.    Trust local leadership to know what’s best for their school communities.

    3.    Involve students in the conversation, rather than silencing our voices with a dictatorship-like decision.

    4.    Limit use during instructional time, but allow it during lunch or passing periods. Especially in high schools.

    5.    Require permission for certain uses but still allow students some autonomy.

A one-size-fits-all approach may seem simple, but real life isn’t simple.

Please sign this petition to support giving schools the freedom to make thoughtful, student-informed decisions about phone use, not blanket rules that ignore our voices.