Sherrill reviews school-phone rules with Cherry Hill students
By Staff Writer · Published 10/23/2026, 5:22:22 AM ET
New Jersey’s governor heard reports of better classroom focus under the current school-year restrictions. State law and education guidance preserve exceptions and leave device storage to local schools.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill visited Cherry Hill High School East on October 22 to hear students describe how New Jersey’s school-day phone restrictions are affecting classes and daily routines. The visit focused on implementation of an existing law, with students and school leaders reporting fewer distractions and more conversation in person.
The governor’s account presents those observations as early feedback. It does not publish a statewide evaluation measuring changes in grades, mental health or student behavior. Cherry Hill Superintendent Kwame Morton described reports from staff and students, while a student participant said she felt more productive and less distracted during the school day.
The statewide requirement began with the 2026–27 school year under legislation approved January 8, 2026, by then-Gov. Phil Murphy. The enacted measure, P.L. 2025, Chapter 195, directs school boards to adopt policies consistent with education department guidance. It applies to public districts, charter schools and renaissance school projects.
The rules cover students from kindergarten through grade 12 and extend beyond classroom instruction. The education department’s current guidance and July questions-and-answers document say personal internet-connected devices must remain off and stored during lunch on campus, study halls and breaks between classes, subject to authorized exceptions. Smartphones, tablets and smartwatches are among the devices covered.
How schools store devices is a local choice. State guidance lists options including locked pouches, school lockers, classroom storage and keeping a powered-off device in a student’s bag. In Cherry Hill, the governor’s office says students must keep devices off and out of sight; a violation may lead to storage in a phone locker for the rest of the day.
The restrictions retain protections for students who need devices under an individualized education program, a Section 504 accommodation plan or a documented health plan. The law also addresses translation, emergencies and approved caregiving responsibilities. School administrators may authorize another necessary use when no reasonable alternative would meet the purpose. The department’s guidance tells schools to explain how families can request and document an exception.
Education department guidance distinguishes personal devices from school-provided technology used for teaching. Its July document says district-issued computers and school-supported platforms may be used for educational work. A personal device needed for a particular instructional purpose requires the administrator’s authorization when no reasonable alternative exists.
The same July document explains that before- and after-school activities and school buses do not automatically fall under the full-day restriction: a district may extend its own rules to those settings. During the school day, families are directed to the communication arrangements established by their district. For an emergency requiring immediate contact, the department points parents to the school’s main office.
State Education Commissioner Lily Laux said educators were describing stronger engagement and fewer social-media disruptions after an initial adjustment. That is the commissioner’s account of what schools are reporting, rather than an independently measured statewide result. The guidance calls for districts to review their discipline and implementation practices as they assess how the policies are working.
Sherrill also used the visit to discuss her broader online-safety agenda. Her office said Rutgers University had been selected earlier in the week to house the state’s Social Media Research Center. The October 22 release supplies no findings from that center, and it does not announce a new statewide phone law or a uniform disciplinary penalty for all schools.
What it means
Sherrill met Cherry Hill High School East students October 22 to discuss the phone restrictions public schools began implementing for 2026–27 under the law approved January 8. The governor’s office reported favorable student and staff feedback and noted Rutgers’ selection to host the Social Media Research Center. State guidance leaves storage methods to schools and preserves documented accommodations and other authorized exceptions; the visit did not announce a new statewide ban.
Source
This State & Nation summary is based on New Jersey Governor’s Office’s original release, dated 2026-10-22. The reporting and statistics above are attributed to that publication.