ATLANTA — A move to ban cellphones for all Georgia high school students is gaining support from the state’s top education official.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed a bill banning cellphones for all K–8 students in Georgia. The law is set to take effect at the start of the next school year. Now, Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods says he supports expanding that ban to include high school students as well.
Woods says after speaking with teachers across the state, he believes cellphones have become a major distraction in classrooms.
“That distraction is something that I firmly believe is something getting in the way of our education,” Woods said.
While he acknowledges parents want to stay in contact with their children, Woods says classrooms should remain focused on learning.
“Once they’re inside the classroom, our attention needs to be on the teacher, on the content, so we can make sure that they are effectively learning,” he said.
A state Senate study committee is now recommending lawmakers consider expanding the cellphone ban when they convene next month.
Woods says the issue is more complicated at the high school level, particularly because of parental concerns, but believes removing phones during class time would improve the learning environment.
“We’re trying to deliver content, we’re trying to teach, and we’ve got to have all of our kids focused on what’s going on inside the classroom; not having distractions that are pulling them away from what we want them to learn and what they need to learn,” Woods said.
He added that cellphone notifications are a growing problem for both students and teachers.
“That distraction is something that I firmly believe is getting in the way of our education, and right now both teachers and students are in agreement with that,” Woods said.
Woods says while districts should have some flexibility in how they handle enforcement, he supports expanding the ban statewide.
A state Senate committee is expected to take up the issue when lawmakers return to the Capitol in 2026.
WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.