South Carolina is one step closer to banning cell phones in public schools after the state Department of Education approved a “model policy” on August 13 that would apply to all K-12 schools across the state.
With this measure, the board responded to an amendment to the state budget for 2024 that requires schools to prohibit the use of “personal electronic communication devices by students” during class.
According to the Model Directive as currently amended:
- All internet-connected electronic devices – cell phones, smart watches, tablets, gaming devices and more – must be kept in a locker, backpack or other location designated by the school from the first bell to the last. Schools can also ban the devices from campus.
- Students with certain illnesses and those who work as first responders are exempt.
- Students who violate the guidelines face “progressive consequences … and disciplinary action.”
In an accompanying background document, the SC Department of Education (SCDE) gave three reasons for this policy:
- Social science studies linking smartphone use to poor academic performance and mental health problems among teenagers;
- A survey of 9,000 teachers in South Carolina found strong support for a statewide ban.
- Recent efforts by other states to ban the technology.
SCDE spokesman Jason Raven said Statehouse report The department is “grateful” that the ban is moving forward.
“Research and feedback show that widespread smartphone use in schools poses serious academic, mental health and safety challenges,” Raven said in a statement Thursday. “All South Carolina students deserve to thrive in a learning environment free of constant digital distractions.”
Final approval of the policy by board members is expected in September. Implementation in local districts must be completed by January 2025.
$38 million in unclaimed funds returned
The state of South Carolina returned more than $38 million worth of unclaimed property to its citizens last year, according to a press release issued Friday by the state’s Treasurer, Curtis Loftis.
“I’m still touched by the calls and thank-you letters I get from people who have found money they didn’t know was theirs,” Loftis said. “That’s why I’m so passionate about encouraging people to check their names on our website to claim what’s rightfully theirs.”
The IRS says it has paid back $365 million since 2011, with nearly $1 billion still unclaimed. The money ends up in the IRS’s custody when companies cannot locate the rightful owners of property they own.
“I desperately needed new tires for the car, but didn’t have enough money to pay for it,” an Anderson County resident told the tax office after receiving the funds. “I put it in God’s hands and he answered my prayers.”
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