FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Act 122 is now in effect for the 2025-2026 school year, banning student cell phone use in Arkansas public schools.

The “Bell to Bell, No Cell” law, passed under Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in February , requires schools to restrict phone use during school hours.

Many local educators said the policy is already making a difference in classroom focus and student interaction.

“At lunch, they were all talking to one another,” said Greenland High School principal Stephanie Baker. “No one's head was buried in the device. It was really fun to see them interact and engage with one another and conversate.”

Cody Napier, dean of students at Greenland High School, also said students are engaging more with their peers now that their phones are out of sight.

“In the past,

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