A month after students returned to the classrooms after summer break… they’re also getting a break from their cell phones.
That’s because now, according to North Dakota law, it’s illegal to have them in school.
The bell-to-bell cell phone law passed by the 2025 Legislature and signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong took effect August 1st, and prohibits cell phones in the bathrooms, hallways and classrooms of North Dakota schools. Principal at West Fargo’s Cheney Middle School, Amber Rudolph, says before this law took effect phones were already limited in some schools. At Cheney, they were only allowed during passing times. But since they’ve been eliminated once and for all, Rudolph says things have changed – for the better.
"We have a way different vibe now, going on, and it brings so much joy to my heart. We you know, even seeing a simple game like UNO - eighth graders playing UNO. That wouldn't have happened before. Or Monopoly! They're bringing their board games to school. And they're talking to people across from them. The lunch rooms are loud, when you walk down the hallway kids are talking to each other. They're not walking and texting, they're not calling their parents or whoever they're calling. It's just a breath of fresh air."
The emergence of smart phones and social media preceded rising levels of anxiety and depression in students. Rudolph says while it’s only been a few weeks, she hasn’t noticed any negative impacts of removing cell phones.
"Some days I feel like we're giving kids a gift - a gift of escape. From 8 to 4 at least, they can... it's one less worry. And even for some adults, it's freeing. Like, I don't have to be accessible 24 hours a day. I can focus on what I need to focus on, and hopefully we see the benefits of that shift in thinking."
Rudolph says as of last night, they’ve logged 44 infractions at Cheney Middle School – which she says is very minimal.