Published: April 27, 2026
By the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year, Maine schools will experience a big change: no more phones. By August, all public schools in the Pine Tree State will be required to ban cell phones for the entirety of the school day.
While a multitude of schools throughout the state already have phone policies in place, this new regulation will be stricter, requiring a “bell-to-bell” policy. This mandates that phones must be stored away from the start to the end of the school day. The ban also includes other devices, such as smartwatches.
On April 10, 2026, Maine Governor Janet Mills signed a state budget bill requiring all public school boards to adopt policies prohibiting student cell phone use. Schools are required to implement these policies by August 1, 2026, with the goal of minimizing classroom distractions and improving student engagement and mental health.
The ban allocates about $350,000 for implementation and will affect roughly 168,000 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade at public schools across the state.
According to LD 2122, the law will “prohibit the use of a cellular telephone by a student in a public school during classroom time, lunch breaks, or transition time between classes.” It goes on to state that students who have an emergency will be permitted “to use a cellular telephone in the main office of the school.”
According to Education Week, “At least 37 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones in schools.” As of early 2026, 26 states have fully implemented bell-to-bell bans, like Maine is doing.
Numerous teachers have stated that they are frustrated with the distractions of phones. Maine schools that already have phone policies in place report that staff have seen fewer distractions, as well as improved grades and student focus.
However, critics of the ban say they are concerned about students being unable to contact family in the event of an emergency. Others have questioned the cost of implementing the policy.
Overall, the policy reflects a broader national trend toward limiting phone use in schools, though its long-term impact in Maine is still uncertain.
