PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Educators are urging parents to update themselves on their child's school phone policies due to a new law in Ohio.
House Bill 250 will soon place restrictions on student cell phone use, serving as a guide on how technology should be used in all classrooms.
Every school district in Ohio is required to establish an official policy for cell phone usage during school hours by no later than July 2025, ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. The goal is to minimize student use of cell phones in grades K-12. The bill passed unanimously in both the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives.
RELATED: Washington Local Schools updates cell phone and electronics policy ahead of new school year
The Superintendent of Perrysburg Schools, Tom Hosler, said most parents and educators here in Ohio are on board.
"The amount of time it takes to pay attention to a teacher and then to look away, your brain resets so trying to eliminate that, I think will go a long way in making that environment more conducive to learning," said Hosler.
He said Perrysburg schools had a policy recently put in place that already meets the bills criteria.
Their policy begins at the start of this school year, and it states that students, in grades kindergarten through 8th grade, must keep all cell phones stored away during school hours. The devices are not allowed to be heard or seen.
At the high school level, the Superintendent said, students are allowed to carry their phones but are only allowed to have them out in between classes and during lunch.
Phones will be stored away during classes.
The leaders with Perrysburg school encourage parents to come and discuss the policy if there are any concerns or if there are medical reasons their kid needs to have technology.
WATCH MORE FROM WTOL 11