Colorado Schools Find Success with Cellphone Bans

When Centaurus High School student Macy Larson walks into class now, her phone barely crosses her mind. “The cellphone bans ingrained something in my brain,” Larson said. “It triggered something in my brain to not use my phone.”

Just a year ago, that wasn’t the case. With cellphones around, she, like many other teenagers, found herself scrolling frequently. Now that she doesn’t have constant access to her phone, she spends more time talking with her classmates, participating in student union activities and staying engaged during the school day.

Larson is one of thousands of Colorado students adjusting to new cellphone bans as school districts across the state reconsider the role of technology in classrooms. The shift reflects growing concerns about student focus, mental health and social development in an increasingly digital world.

At Centaurus High School in Lafayette, the stricter enforcement of Boulder Valley School District’s cellphone ban has reshaped daily routines. Phones are no longer a default distraction and students are finding new ways to connect.

“Students would sit in here and be on their phones,” Larson said of the student union. “Now there are activities happening.”

Administrators say that change is necessary. Boulder Valley School District’s (BVSD) Chief Communication Officer Randy Barber believes their ban on cellphones in schools would increase not only learning comprehension but social interaction as well. 

“We want kids to be talking to each other during lunch and focused on academics in the classroom,” Barber said. 

BVSD’s cellphone ban, implemented in April 2019 and revised in November 2024, restricts phone use from the beginning to the end of the school day. Students are allowed to keep phones on their person but may not use them during school hours. Barber acknowledged that the policy raised safety concerns among parents. 

“There is a big concern that something may be going on at school, and they ask, well, ‘How can we reach our students?’” Barber said. The solution? Allowing and trusting students to carry their phones on their person. 

Behind the policy is a broader concern about student well-being. Barber said district leaders observed noticeable changes in student mental health as smartphones and social media became more prevalent. 

“One of the big things that drove the board to this decision is that when phones were introduced, we saw what happened to kids in terms of their mental health; the real concern really became around social media taking away from normal social interaction in their day,” Barber said. “While we cannot control what happens outside of schools, we can at least take action in school and set expectations around social interaction.” 

Research supports those observations. A 2022 study conducted by researchers Melissa Huey and David Giguere at the National Institutes of Health found that college students who turned in their phones at the start of class demonstrated better comprehension of course material than those who kept phone access. While the study focused on college students, educators say similar patterns appear in K–12 classrooms.

At Denver North High School, Principal German Echevarria said the school’s cellphone policy emphasizes balance. “We want to make sure students understand that there’s a time and place,” Echevarria said. 

Denver North’s cellphone ban differs from BVSD’s approach. Students must turn in phones at the start of each class period, with access allowed before school, during passing periods, and at lunch. 

The results, Echevarria said, have been clear. “We saw higher levels of engagement in class and increased collaboration in classrooms,” Echevarria said. Without phones, students have found creative and sometimes nostalgic ways to communicate.

“We saw students passing notes to communicate,” Echevarria said. The cellphone ban was intended to “build soft skills around time management, good sleep habits and positive interpersonal relationships,” and Denver North’s principal has seen exactly that.

At Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Principal Carlyn Carroll said the change has gone beyond academics. “They’re kids again,” Carroll said. “It brings out their humanity; now I’m seeing love and collaboration and kindness.”

Not every adjustment has been seamless. Some students say the biggest challenge is boredom, especially toward the end of the day. “Waiting at the end of the day makes it difficult to not have a phone,” said Centaurus High School student Charlie Taylor.

Despite some boredom, cellphone bans have had such a positive impact that they are catching on across the state.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation in May 2025 requiring school districts across the state to implement policies limiting student cellphone use by summer 2026, as educators overwhelmingly associate digital devices with poor learning environments. House Bill 1135, sponsored by Democratic Representative Meghan Lukens, allows each district to create its own policy regarding student communication device possession and use during school hours.

Students like Larson support cellphone bans because she has seen many positive effects since they were implemented. Larson went from using her cellphone every day in the student union to running the ping pong club, where she met new people and learned more effectively.

“I sat next to some kids whose names I didn’t know until we played ping pong together,” Larson said. “I have made friends I thought I would never make.”