The state of Oklahoma’s governor, Kevin Stitt, passed a new bill on May 6, 2025, called the “bell to bell” law to keep students off their phones during school hours, along with 11 other states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia). 

The law isn’t only about phones; it is also personal technology that the school doesn’t provide for the students. We received replies from both school staff and students regarding the phone ban, which included the following questions and answers we received. 

       How would you say the phone ban is going for you?

Teachers have said it’s been going rather good for them, but two out of one student said it wasn’t going good for them.

“The biggest change will be viewing the time. I normally would see a digital time on my watch, but because the phone ban during school hours stops me from reading the time, which does not specifically affect me as much as the time does,” said sophomore Chelsea Hart.

Art teacher Katy Hall had a different perspective.  “ I think that it’ll ultimately be good for everybody. I think it’s going to take a little bit of time for this adjustment, but even with the adjustment.”

      How would you say it’s impacting the students/you as a student?

Students and teachers agree that it has had a positive impact on students, yet there are a few issues here and there. Bella Rahmoeller said that her grades were better, and another said that it’s cutting communication. Hall and math teachers, Lisl Scheuerman and Candi Struble, said that they were seeing students talk more and have been working more than they used to, and that it’s also bringing more ideas to the table. 

       Have you ever been pouched/Have you ever pouched students? When and how?

The students that we got involved have not been taught yet in the school year, but the teachers have pouched a lot of students except for one of the math teachers. 

 “I was the third person and the fourth person to pouch someone, and I am one of the highest pouchers in the school,” said Scheuerman. 

“I’m a proud poucher. Just having it out, honestly. Because the rule is, if we see it, it gets pouched, right? So I’ve seen them, so I’ve pouched them,” said Hall.

        Do you have anything else to add to this?

Overall, all teachers and students have agreed and disagreed with one another on this. 

Sophomore Chelsea Hart said, “Don’t let the state control the teachers.” 

“I think that it’s going better than I expected,” said Struble.

“I am already starting to see some positives,” said Hall.

 “I kind of feel like we’re kind of turning back time a little bit, and so we passed notes, had NASH, things like that, and all those things are coming back with the 2000s clothes,” said Scheuerman.