New Florida school phone rules catches parents off guard. What else changed over summer

Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal
·4 min read

Florida schools are officially in session and many parents are just finding out about a suite of new laws that passed during the 2023 Legislative session and how they will impact them.

Among the bills is HB 379, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in May. The new bill introduced sweeping changes to how students interact with technology in K-12 public schools.

Part of the new changes prohibits students from using wireless communications devices during “instructional time,” with headroom for exceptions.

How these new rules are implemented will vary by school district, but here’s a general look at how students can use their phones in schools.

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Florida schools ban phone use during instructional time

The majority of the new rules follow under a subsection of existing laws that give teachers, district school boards and principals the authority to dictate rules to keep students in order while in the classroom.

The new school rule effectively bans the usage of phones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time but leaves room for districts to decide how to implement the new rules.

Teachers must establish a designated area for phones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time when exceptions allow.

The new law leaves one area of concern for parents worried about losing direct communication with their children via mobile devices — exceptions to the new law are left to the teacher’s sole discretion and seemingly only apply for educational purposes.

Related bill text

Establish classroom rules of conduct, including designating an area for phones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time.

Florida HB 379

Notice that use of a wireless communications device includes the possibility of the imposition of disciplinary action by the school or criminal penalties if the device is used in a criminal act. A student may possess a wireless communications device while the student is on school property or in attendance at a school function; however, a student may not use a wireless communications device during instructional time, except when expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes. A teacher shall designate an area for wireless communications devices during instructional time. Each district school board shall adopt rules governing the use of a wireless communications device by a student while the student is on school property or in attendance at a school function.

Florida HB 379

Note: Bolded text are additions to existing law.

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Florida students can still bring cell phones to school

While each school may be different, Florida law does not prohibit students from possessing a phone or other wireless device while they are on school property or while they are attending a school function.

The law allows each district school board to adopt rules governing students’ use of these devices in the above situations.

Florida students in grades 6-12 will be taught about the social, emotional and physical effects of social media

The material must include:

  • The negative effects of social media on mental health, including addiction

  • The distribution of misinformation on social media

  • How social media manipulates behavior

  • The permanency of sharing materials online

  • How to maintain personal security and identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior and human trafficking on the internet

  • How to report suspicious behavior encountered on the internet

This material will be available online and each school district will notify parents when it’s available.

Florida school districts must adopt internet safety policies

School districts will need to create and implement internet safety protocols for student access to the internet that:

  • Limit access by students to only age-appropriate subject matter and materials on the internet

  • Protect the safety and security of students when using e-mail, chat rooms and other forms of direct electronic communication

  • Prohibit access by students to data or information including “hacking” and other unlawful online activities

  • Prevent access to websites, web apps or software that does not protect against the disclosure, use or dissemination of students’ personal information

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New Florida school rules ban access to social media, with exception

Students are prohibited from accessing social media platforms through the school’s Wi-Fi except when directed by a teacher for educational purposes.

Florida schools ban TikTok

The new school rules ban access to the social media platform TikTok, along with any successor platform, on district-owned devices and blocks access to the platform through the district’s internet.

Additionally, schools are not allowed to use the platform to communicate or promote school-sponsored clubs, extracurricular organization or athletic teams.

Read Florida HB 379 in full

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: New Florida school phone rule is the tip of the iceberg. What to know