Legislators Hit Pause On Cell Phone Restrictions In South Dakota Classrooms

Well, it appears, for now anyway, South Dakota students can keep their phones tucked in their hoodies, backpacks, and, yes, occasionally, right out on their desks.

A proposal that would have limited cell phone use in public school classrooms across the state has officially been postponed by lawmakers. Senate Bill 198 aimed to prohibit students from using their phones during the school day. In other words, Snapchats and mid-morning scrolling sessions statewide could have been put on ice from first bell to last had it passed.

But according to Dakota News Now, critics of the bill pushed back, arguing that many local school districts already have their own cell phone policies in place. Their point? Why create a one-size-fits-all rule in Pierre when individual South Dakota districts are already handling it themselves?

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State Secretary of Education Joe Graves also weighed in, urging lawmakers to reconsider the approach. Graves isn’t advocating for a total phone blackout. Instead, he believes local educators should have the final say on how much screen time is appropriate in their classrooms. Translation: let teachers teach, and let them decide when it’s time for students to put down their phones.

The committee ultimately voted 8-7 to send SB 198 to the 41st legislative day, a procedural move that effectively shelves the bill for now.

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There was a brief attempt to revive it with a new amendment tied to charter schools, but that idea was quickly shut down after objections that it introduced an entirely different topic. The recall motion failed on a 7-8 vote.

So for the time being, the debate over phones in South Dakota classrooms isn’t over; think of it as being on airplane mode for a while.