At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Wilsonville implemented a cell phone ban, which includes phones, AirPods, and tablets. The expectation is that PEDs (portable electronic devices) are off and away from 8:30 AM to 3:05 PM. They are to remain off and away from all district properties.
Until October 1, 2025, the first time you are caught with your PED, it will be taken, and you can get it at the end of the day. Second offence, your parents must pick it up at the end of the day. After October 1st, 2025, any offense: take it and parents must pick it up. There have been mixed results towards this new phone law.
Research, including a study in Australia, shows improved test scores after the phone ban. Some parents and students raise safety concerns and worry about the limited communication during an active emergency.
Others argue the ban could damage student-teacher relationships. As Diego Retana, a junior enrolled in Wilsonville High School says
As Christopher Klein, a learning achievement specialist in Montgomery County, Maryland, told the National Education Association’s NEATtoday publication.
Supporters of the phone ban argue that removing phones during school gets the attention of the students, and the overall academic performance is higher in the classroom.
Advocates of the new phone law say removing phones during school hours lowers stress levels, minimizes cyberbullying, and promotes district social interaction, emotional regulation among students. As Senator Lisa puts it, “ Every student deserves a distraction-free zone, harassment free learning environment that fosters curiosity and community. This executive order will help us make that a reality.”
At the end of the day, the phone law is an executive order; the chances of this executive order going away in Oregon are highly unlikely. While the long-term effects of Wilsonville’s phone ban are yet to be seen, the policy reflects a larger statewide and national conversation about the role of technology in education.
Supporters believe it will boost focus and lower stress levels, while others think the law is a safety concern. In the end, the PED active law is probably not going away, but there will always be backlash and questions.
