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WASHINGTON — The National Association of School Resource Officers announced its support for school policies and legislation that prohibit K–12 students from accessing cellphones during instructional hours, citing student safety concerns both in everyday settings and during emergencies.
In a statement, NASRO Executive Director Mo Canady said allowing students unrestricted access to phones throughout the school day creates safety risks.
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“Access to phones during the school day reduces student safety in normal and especially emergency situations,” Canady said.
NASRO emphasized that in daily school life, cellphones often amplify social media conflicts, facilitate bullying and make it easier for students to coordinate fights, all of which can disrupt learning and escalate tensions on campus.
The organization also raised concerns about phone use during school emergencies. In incidents such as active shooter situations, Canady said, students must be able to fully focus on life-saving instructions from staff. Cellphone use, even when intended to contact parents, can distract students, compromise hiding spots through sounds or screen light and overload communication networks relied upon by emergency personnel.
NASRO further warned that students’ unfiltered messages to parents during a crisis can unintentionally worsen the situation.
“Information students communicate to parents during an emergency often prompts parents to rush to the school,” the statement noted, creating traffic congestion and potentially delaying first responders. In some cases, a parent trying to enter the building could even be mistaken for an assailant.
For these reasons, NASRO supports what it calls “bell-to-bell” restrictions — limits on cellphone access from the beginning to the end of the school day. The organization is also urging schools to develop and routinely test emergency communication plans that keep families informed through official channels as quickly as possible.
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