The proposal incorporates the use of secure, lockable smartphone bags in which students would deposit their mobile devices until the end of the school day.
Specifically, Senate Bill 700 included Aument's proposal to amend the School Safety & Mental Health grant program to allow for the purchase of these smartphone bags as an eligible use of the funding.
The bill funded the program at $100 million and provided each school district with an automatic base grant of $100,000 and each intermediate unit, area career and technical school, charter school, regional charter school or cyber charter school with an automatic base grant of $70,000.
"This funding is a huge opportunity for any school district looking to address one of the major root causes of the mental health crisis plaguing our kids — smartphones and social media," said Aument. "Now that this proposal has been signed into law, I intend to work towards ensuring that every school district in Pennsylvania knows this funding is available to them and that a robust cellphone policy has the power to help them regain their students' focus in class, restore the social environment on campus, and boost academic performance."
Since the early 2010s, there has been a steep decline in mental health in children, and their academic performance is suffering. This decline directly correlates to the rise of smartphones and social media apps.
"Kids spend so much time on social media and using their smartphones that it's taking a toll on them mentally, emotionally, and academically," Aument said. "Smartphone restrictions have proved successful in reversing these trends. Students deserve to learn without a constant distraction in their pockets, and my proposal would give them that."
Senate Bill 700 also requires schools to develop and adopt an official policy to prohibit the use of cellphones during the school day in exchange for the grant funding to purchase the smartphone bags. While this requirement and the funding tied to it are currently voluntary for school districts, Aument says that moving forward he plans to pursue a statewide prohibition on cellphone use during school hours.
Senate Bill 700 is now Act 55 of 2024.
Learn more about Sen. Aument's initiative to create smartphone-free schools in Pennsylvania and the research supporting it at https://bit.ly/4cGoVSq.
©2024 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.