(LANSING) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a new law to ban smartphones from public school classrooms starting in the Fall of 2026.
Under the new law, students will still be able to have phones with them at school, but smartphones won't be allowed during instructional time. Students could carry basic phones, and it will be up to school officials to determine how rigidly to enforce the policy moving forward.
While many schools in the State have already adopted their own cellphone policies, including Sturgis, the new law will create baseline regulations for all public school districts, where officials could still consider stricter rules. The law directs school districts to limit smartphone use during instructional time but does not propose penalties for those that do not, and it does not apply to private or parochial schools.
Under the law, school districts must post their cellphone policy online and detail how it will be enforced.
Students will still be able to access their smartphones between classes or at lunch. During instructional time, they could be allowed to carry "dumb phones," which can send texts or make calls but not access TikTok, Snapchat or other potential distractions.
The law does not restrict the use of medically necessary devices that function through smartphones, such as a glucose monitor, and district-owned devices designated for instructional use.
A companion law from Democrat State Sen. Dayna Polehanki, also signed Tuesday, would require schools to create a protocol regarding when and how students can use a smartphone during an emergency, such as a bomb threat or active shooter situation.