WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Back in April, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a law ordering schools in Iowa to ban cell phone usage during classes. Several schools across the metro and state have been planning and trying to figure out how to best implement it.

In West Des Moines, they started last week on the first day of school. The new policy states that middle and high schools strictly prohibit the use of personal electronic devices during instructional time and assessments.

Phones can be used during lunch, before and after school. High schoolers can also use them during passing time. Each high school also has caddies where students can store their phones during classes. 

Personal electronic devices are banned the entire day in elementary school. 

So, have students been receptive to the new rules?

“We’re a week in, but the early signs are really positive. I’ve heard great things from teachers. I’ve heard positive things from students,” West Des Moines Community Schools Executive Director of Secondary Education Steven Schappaugh said. “Administrators across the district have been very pleased with how the rollout has gone so far. I think it helps that we know this is not specific to one school or one district. This is something we’re all in together. And I think that makes it easier for the students to process.”

The district notified students and families long before school started and they continue to remind them into their second week of the 2025-26 year. 

“I was in hallways, and I went into dozens of classrooms myself just to experience that first week. And I saw really strong routines and procedures from our staff, reminding students what the expectations were, creating space and structure for students to be able to put their devices away,” Schappaugh said. “We see students responding in a really positive manner, adhering to those expectations. We had very few disturbances, despite the fact that we have 9,000 students across 13 campuses.”

If a student is caught using a phone during instruction periods, there are disciplinary consequences. Although, many students get why there are new policies. 

“They know their cell phone is a distraction. They may not like the rule per se, but they’re really smart, they’re self-aware, they’re socially aware. They understand this isn’t about them. This is about a societal issue that we need to tackle as a community. And they know as much as they may not like it sometimes, they are going to be able to focus much more without that distraction ever present,” Schappaugh said.

Other metro school districts have fairly similar new policies. Most schools do not allow elementary students to use phones at all, while high schoolers get a little screen time when not in class. 

The law allows some restrictions to this cell phone ban for certain, specific situations. 

More details on each school district’s policies are on their individual websites.