Hayden McCloskey has a lot going on this year. He is starting his freshman year of high school and his first job at the local Mason City Culvers. Like most high school students, McCloskey carries his phone on him. He says without a phone, he can’t check text messages and might miss a shift.
“We have a group chat and during the day we get asked about shifts. Sometimes you don’t realize you work until the day of,” said McCloskey.
McCloskey is one of many Mason City High School students not supportive of a recent announcement by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds saying she will introduce a bill to ban cell phones in Iowa classrooms this year.
“In high school, the kids have jobs and more responsibilities and they need them to communicate with their parents and bosses,” said McCloskey.
Reynolds hasn’t released the specifics on what this policy would look like in schools yet. The 2025 legislative session began on January 13th. She has said that she does not want to interfere with any work Iowa schools have already put in on their own cell phone policies.
“I want to make sure that I’m respecting the hard work that’s already gone into place by the school districts that have stepped up and implemented it,” Reynolds said in an interview with reporters outside the state capitol last month, “I don’t want to really step on anything that they’ve done.”
With very few details about the potential policy, Iowa students and staff are left in the dark about how this is going to work.
“What will their punishment be? Are we seriously going to be fining and possibly even jailing children over a phone?” said senior Kyan Gutierrez. “Why must we need legislative control over students using a phone?”
This potential legislation is leaving some administrators questioning if this a state government problem. Mason City High School has had a cell phone policy in place for several years.
“In general, I am a proponent of local control,” MCHS Principal Dan Long said, “As a general rule I think that leads to success because we’ve got a better understanding of our own situation and circumstances here.”
Long says he would rather lawmakers focus on funding public schools.
“Cell phones are a long way on that spectrum from really being a state-mandated type of issue,” said Long.
In a round-table discussion with journalism students, Superintendent Pat Hamilton said a state law would take the pressure off individual school districts.
“Go ahead,” said Hamilton, “Then [if families complain] I can say, ‘Blame the governor.”
According to Consumer Affairs Research Magazine, around 98% of Americans or 331 million people in the US own cell phones. By age 15, an estimated 95% of teens have one. People have grown to rely on cell phones for connections, communication, and sources of entertainment.
A survey of 152 MCHS students revealed 97.7% of respondents say they have a cell phone. Thirty-five percent of these students claim their screen time per day is around 3-5 hours, while another 20% say it’s 5-7 hours. One response said their screen time was 15 hours a day.

Eighty percent of students said they were aware that MCHS has a school cell phone policy. Long says it has changed and improved many times through the years.
“Our current policy is that cell phones should not be out in the classroom,” Long said, “Students can have them in between classes in the hallways or in the cafeteria, but cell phones are not supposed to be used in the classrooms.”
Ultimately, Long says teachers are in charge of keeping cell phone usage under control in their classrooms. Students have one warning where the phone is taken to the main office and they can pick it up at the end of the day. After the first offense, a parent has to pick it up.
Long said the main reason people are against cell phones in schools is because of the distractions and lack of learning taking place.
“I don’t think there’s a place for it. You only get 45 minutes for that class every period every day,” Long said, “If a student is on their cell phone doing something other than class, it means they are distracted from what’s going on which can lead to a number of problems.”
The survey revealed students have strong opinions on the idea of creating a state law banning cell phones.
Only 6.6% of students who took the survey said they thought the ban was a good idea, while 88.7% said it wasn’t. The other 4.6% said they were not sure.
Some students believe phones should stay in schools in case of emergencies.
“School shootings are becoming more and more popular in the US and I know that if it ever came down to it happening to MCHS, I think I should be able to have easy access to my phone so I can stay in contact with my family,” said junior Madalyn Chose.
Allehandra Llewellyn, a junior, said her mother has asthma and she worries about her when she is at school.
“If she needed help getting up or getting a ride and I was in school, if I didn’t have my phone, she could stop breathing. I love my family and they come first for me,” said Llewellyn.
Senior Taylor Triggs listens to music on her phone to help her focus during school. She’s concerned about how the absence rate will change with this potential ban.
“I believe banning cell phones will lead to an increased absence rate from students as many will become irritated with the ban to a point of not wanting to have to be in a place with the ban,” said Triggs.
Other students say banning cell phones is a good thing.
“Cell phones have become a huge problem in public schools,” said senior Joseline Juarez. “Students are unable to focus or pay attention during class. It’s time that students take a break from chronic online usage to focus on their studies. Most Americans don’t realize that free public education is a blessing that other people do not have. Students should take advantage of the education they are receiving.”
“People need to get off their phones and actually enhance their education,” said another junior, William Dorsey.
Zyanna Jindra is a student who sees both sides of the problem.
“A statewide phone ban could benefit students because then they could focus on schooling,” said Jindra. “Cell phones provide many distractions from social media to games that provide dopamine keeping kids looped in. However, a statewide phone ban could also be unnecessary because a cell phone can also be a tool.”
In her Condition of the State address on January 14th, Governor Reynolds said that her proposal includes common-sense exemptions, like during an emergency. But at a minimum, Iowa school boards would have to enact a policy that bans use during instructional time.