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Educators, students and state officials describe benefits of Executive Order 2509 banning phones during school day
Summary
At an informational hearing on Executive Order 2509, school librarians, district leaders and ODE and governor’s office representatives described increased student engagement, reduced disruptions, and higher library circulation after cell-phone restrictions; witnesses urged guidance on accommodations and emergency communication; the session was informational and no vote was taken.
Chair Frederick opened an informational hearing on Executive Order 2509 on Feb. 3, describing the order as prohibiting student cell-phone use in schools and inviting testimony from practitioners and state officials.
Paige Battle, school librarian at Grant High School, said her school’s daylong phone restriction led to more face-to-face student interaction, higher teacher collaboration with library instruction, and a roughly 14.5% increase in book circulation. She recommended pairing device policies with media-literacy instruction.
Johna Tims, Governor Kotek’s education initiatives director, framed EO 2509 as supporting student mental health and instructional focus and said the Governor’s office and Oregon Department of Education have provided toolkits, model policies and technical assistance. Tims said ODE estimated about 30% of Oregon schools had cell-phone off-and-away policies at the start of the school year and that the agency is offering supports for districts still implementing policy changes.
Enrique Ferrera of the Oregon Education Association summarized an OEA survey reporting broad, largely positive implementation (OEA respondents reported about 89% full implementation among teachers who responded, with concerns chiefly around accommodations and consistent enforcement) and recommended funding for storage solutions, emergency communication protocols and guidance for students with disabilities. Jefferson County superintendent Jay Matheson and Madras High principal Tony Summers described a local multi-year rollout and said classroom engagement and reduced online harassment were prominent benefits.
Committee members asked about enforcement, consistency, accommodations for students with medical needs, and emergency communication procedures. Testimony emphasized that policies work when implemented thoughtfully and with supports; the hearing was informational and the committee did not take a vote.
