Teachers say the no-cell-phone policy is reshaping the classroom

When South Carolina implemented its no-phone policy in January 2025, some predicted chaos. 

 

What happened instead, many teachers say, was a transformation.

 

“I thought it would be hell,” said Clements Ferry resident Tori Diiulio, who teaches at Wando High School. “But I was delighted with how quickly the kids adapted.”

 

The statewide policy, mandated by a legislative budget proviso, requires K-12 students to keep personal electronic devices, including cell phones and smartwatches, powered off and out of sight during the school day.

 

Failure to comply could result in in-school suspension, parent conferences, or behavioral contracts, but Berkeley County School District officials said they opted to focus instead on education over punishment.

 

“We really want our students in class and engaged in meaningful instruction,” chief administrator Shameka Washington said when introducing the policy at a Jan. 6 school board meeting.

 

For Lexie Benardot, an art teacher and Renaissance Lead at Philip Simmons Middle School, the change was instant.

 

“The no-phone policy has been a dream,” she said. “Students stay focused in class, and hallway exchanges continue to be smooth. No heads are looking down at screens. Smiles and high fives are a welcomed replacement.”

 

Benardot said her students had questions at first, especially about staying in touch with parents after school.

 

But students adjusted quickly once they realized they could still use their phones after dismissal.

 

“Many of my students commented that they felt less stressed during the school day knowing they didn’t ‘have to’ focus on their phone for peer approval or keeping up appearances,” she said.

 

Diiulio saw similar improvements. “The engagement in my art class went up dramatically – they had no choice but to participate,” she said. “Most students agreed they could have been spared some kind of embarrassment had the policy been in place at a younger age.”

 

Although some students tried to skirt the rules by pretending to store away old or broken burner phones to appear compliant, teachers like Diiulio took it in stride.

 

“They’d forget it when they left the classroom, so it was easy to tell who was putting a fake phone on the wall,” she said.

 

At Cainhoy Elementary, where phones were already restricted before the policy, fifth-grade teacher Edward McNeil said the transition was seamless but still significant.

 

“I’m in support of this policy,” McNeil said. “I believe the students have many daily distractions, and reducing those has a positive impact on teaching and learning.

 

The shift isn’t just in the classroom. At home, parents say their kids feel calmer, more connected, and easier to reach, without a screen in the way.

 

“My son is more talkative after school,” Daniel Island mom Melanie Hart said about her seventh grader. “He used to come home drained. Now he actually has stories from his day.”

 

Another Daniel Island parent, Mark Whitman, said his son seemed “more present” compared to the previous semester, before the phone ban. “He was no longer constantly checking his phone the second he walked in the door anymore. It made our evenings better, too.” 

 

Still, not everyone is convinced.

 

“I worry about emergencies,” Clements Ferry parent Kelly Davis said. “Not being able to text my child if there’s an incident feels like an accident waiting to happen.”

 

But educators argue that emergency communications should come through the school to avoid panic and misinformation.

 

“A phone-free school encourages a culture where students are free to immerse themselves in the learning environment and develop as individuals who can express themselves through meaningful conversations,” Benardot said.

 

With the 2025-26 school year about to begin, most teachers aren’t expecting resistance; they’re expecting results.

 

“I’m looking forward to having engaged students again,” Diiulio said. “And working toward encouraging less screen time in general.”

 

Benardot considers the phone ban a clear success. “The policy works, and I hope it’s here to stay.”