Overview
- Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed SB 2427 on July 28, 2026, requiring Illinois public school districts to adopt bell‑to‑bell policies by the 2027–28 school year.
- A JAMA Pediatrics analysis published July 27, 2026, found 42 U.S. jurisdictions now have statewide laws or policies that limit student cellphone use in K–12 schools.
- Montgomery County Public Schools will start a districtwide bell‑to‑bell ban for all grades on August 25, 2026, and districts are deciding how to store devices and communicate changes.
- Illinois’ law specifies exceptions for medical needs, IEP/504 plans, English learners, and student caregivers and prohibits enforcement through fines, suspensions, expulsions, ticketing, or deployment of police.
- Research on outcomes is mixed: surveys show rising public support but studies find limited effects on test scores, short‑term disciplinary spikes in some rollouts, and practical concerns over costs, equity and enforcement.