Reducing distractions, improving focus and mental well-being. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained this is a goal of the state's new Bell to Bell, No Cell law.
She spoke about it on Fox.
"It’s, I think, such a critical thing for our students. We've seen such a decline in the level of focus at our schools and a huge increase in anxiety, depression, and suicide rates directly tied to unfettered access to social media and smartphones,” Sanders said.
As of summer 2025, 37 states have enacted some form of phone restrictions during class, according to Time Magazine. Arkansas is among several to implement strict bell-to-bell bans.
New York is set to become the largest state with a full bell-to-bell ban, effective this school year.
This will require students to put their cellphones in pouches at the beginning of the day. They get them back at the end of the day.
Students are not allowed to have their phones at their desks.
Each public school district will be required to publish its cell phone policy on its website, including policies and exemptions concerning cell phones on school property and at school-related functions. Districts are required to provide exemptions for health reasons, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), after-school extracurricular activities, and emergencies. 
"We started this program with the pilot program in a lot of our schools across the state over the course of the last couple of years, and with that pilot program we saw a 51% drop in drug usage. We saw a 57% drop in behavioral issues in the classroom, and a huge increase in the focus."
Pilot districts received funding to purchase containers for students to store their devices and experience a phone-free education. She was inspired to launch this program after reading The Anxious Generation by author Jonathan Haidt, and also sent a copy of the book to every legislator in Arkansas and every governor in America.
In her 2025 State of the State address, Sanders identified mental health as one of her top priorities for the year. In addition to the phone-free schools program, she plans to update Arkansas’ Social Media Safety Act so it is no longer held up in court and to give Arkansas parents the right to sue Big Tech companies under state law so they can hold bad actors accountable.
McMahon: Let states decide
Secretary of State Linda McMahon was also on Fox.
McMahon said there is no one-size-fits-all for education, saying that each community needs to have curriculum that fits best for their areas. She said the states should each have the power to do that, not a central federal government that controls it all.
Sanders said she knows Bell to Bell, No Cell will have a big impact, adding there has been a little pushback on the law, including in her own home. But she thinks this is one of the best things the state can do for its students.
“I'm excited that a lot of other states are following Arkansas' lead and going bell to bell, no cell this year."
