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Board hears update on Indiana Senate Bill 78 that would expand school cellphone ban
Summary
Board members briefed trustees on proposed Indiana Senate Bill 78, which would prohibit student wireless devices for the full school day and require schools to adopt secure-storage or no-device policies; discussion focused on implementation costs and local-control amendments.
Trustees received an update on Indiana Senate Bill 78, a 2026 proposal to expand restrictions on student wireless devices. Board members said the bill would move beyond 2024 limits (which restricted use during instructional time) by prohibiting devices for the full school day and requiring schools to adopt either no-device or secure-storage policies.
Mrs. Halton told the board the revised bill expands the definition of covered devices to include smartwatches and tablets and retains exceptions for medical devices. She and other members said the bill had cleared committee and moved toward a House floor vote; one trustee said Governor Braun was expected to sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Trustees raised practical concerns about implementation costs. A district leader warned that requiring locked storage pockets or similar infrastructure would be an unbudgeted expense for schools: "that would be an additional expense. I think there is still opportunity for what that looks like and what the language is to be determined in that bill," she said.
Board members noted some committee amendments appeared to allow local customization of policy, but several said they could not find the final amendment text and would continue monitoring the bill’s progress. The board took no formal action on the legislation during the meeting.
