South Dakota has received an “F” grade on a new Phone-Free Schools Report Card. The rating comes after a bill to ban cell phones in schools failed in the legislature earlier this year. South Dakota is one of just four states to receive the lowest score.
The report, compiled by four national organizations, says the state’s policies don’t require students to store phones out of reach during the school day. Advocates say that’s key to improving safety and learning. They point to North Dakota, which earned an “A” for requiring phones to be inaccessible from the first bell to the last.
Researchers behind the report say those stricter, bell-to-bell policies lead to better student outcomes.
