Bell-to-Bell Phone Ban
A bell-to-bell phone ban prohibits student cell phone use for the entire school day — from the first bell to the last — including passing periods, lunch, and study halls, not just during class.
Also called bell to bell, all-day phone ban
Bell-to-bell is the strictest common scope for a school phone policy. It contrasts with "instructional-time" policies that allow phone use between classes or at lunch.
Several states have enacted bell-to-bell requirements in law. Research and district reports generally find bell-to-bell easier to enforce than partial bans because there is no ambiguity about when phones are allowed.
Related terms
Phone-Free School
A phone-free school is a campus where students cannot use personal cell phones during the school day, enforced through policy and a storage or locking method rather than relying on teacher-by-teacher discretion.
Instructional-Time Phone Restriction
An instructional-time phone restriction prohibits cell phone use during class but may permit it during passing periods, lunch, or free periods — a narrower scope than a bell-to-bell ban.
State Phone-Free School Law
A state phone-free school law is legislation or an executive order that requires or directs public schools in a state to restrict student cell phone use, ranging from full bell-to-bell bans to guidance for local boards.