Six Months Into Arizona’s Phone Law, HB 2484, Concerns Remain

Reporter: Aidan Booker

“I hate it, it’s so annoying. It’s very unfair and disproportionately enforced.” 

That’s what Jonah Mascaset-Gardner, a 17-year old senior at the New School for the Arts & Academics in Tempe had to say about House Bill 2484. This bill that was signed into law by Katie Hobbs this year in April restricts students’ phone usage in school. 

Phone usage has always been a topic of debate in school, but for the past six months, Arizona districts have been required to enact and enforce policies and procedures regarding this. 

According to HB 2484, it states that “At the beginning of each school year, the school district shall provide to parents, teachers, and students a copy of the policies adopted." 

Depending on the school, students’ access to their phones will be limited during the school day, which includes meals, passing periods between classes, and recess. This includes limiting access to social media platforms during school hours. 

However, teachers may give students access under their discretion for educational purposes, urgent emergencies, or whether the student has a medical condition that requires technology usage. 

The New School for the Arts & Academics is one of the many schools in Arizona that enacted a restricting phone policy, and according to Gardner, many of the students are far from happy with that. 

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According to Pew Research Center, a 2023 survey shows that 72% of U.S. high school teachers say smartphone usage is a major problem in the classroom. From this same study, it also includes that among schools that do have a cell‑phone policy, 60% of high‑school teachers say that their policy is difficult to enforce. 

People in support of this bill argue that the goal is to help students improve their academic performance, and that the rise of smartphone usage in schools has made it harder for students to concentrate in class. 

This bill was signed into law by Katie Hobbs on April 14, 2025, and while it’s been over six months since this bill has been in legislation, it’s clear that there’s still discussion about whether this bill is truly effective.

One student at Arizona State University, Brendon Brown, felt this could be a huge security risk, especially considering the concern about gun violence in the country. 

“Your phone should not be taken from you. If it was in your class, like in a pencil case, I could understand that,” Brown said. “But it should not be away from you, especially with the rise of school shootings.” 

One parent and great-grandmother, Sharon Currie, shared a similar concern about the bill, stating that everyone shouldn’t have to suffer from one distracted student. 

“Give the teacher their respect towards the classroom,” Currie said. “If somebody is disrespectful to the teacher, every time on the phone, that’s that. Don’t penalize everyone for that.” 

This bill has been in legislation for over six months, but it’s clear that concerns have been remaining and pressing parents and students alike feel dismayed by the legislation. 

Whether lawmakers will revisit this policy in the future remains unclear.