Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is joining a handful of other states in calling for cell phone restrictions in schools. (Getty Images)
The governor and education secretary sent a letter to Arkansas school superintendents Tuesday urging them to join a new pilot program focused on increasing access to mental health care for students and restricting in-school cellphone use.
Building off recommendations from superintendents who met with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva last month, the program will provide funding for telehealth mental health services, as well as provide support for locating mental health providers and navigating insurance matters, according to a press release .
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The pilot program will also give funding to all secondary schools that apply to provide pouches for students to store their phones during the school day, reducing screen time and social media use. More exposure to social media increases kids’ risk of mental health problems, Sanders and Oliva write in their letter .