LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As students across Arkansas head back to school, a new statewide law is changing the way they use their phones by prohibiting their use during school hours.
The legislation, which goes into full effect in the 2025–2026 school year, requires all public schools to enforce a “Bell to Bell, No Cell” policy. That means students must keep their phones out of sight— and in many cases, locked away in Yondr pouches from the moment the first bell rings until the end of the school day.
“At the end of the day, if we get our way, and the cell phone is not out between the bells, we have accomplished our goal,” said Kiley Sims, principal of Hot Springs World Class High School…