No Phones, More Talking: Atlantic City High Sees Smooth Start to New Cellphone Rules

ATLANTIC CITY — Administrators at Atlantic City High School were prepared for a struggle when new cellphone restrictions took effect with the start of the school year.

So far, they say they haven't gotten one.

Instead, school officials say students have largely complied with the new rules, with teachers reporting few problems and some students spending more time talking face-to-face rather than scrolling through their phones.

The changes come as schools across New Jersey begin the 2026-27 academic year under a new state law requiring public school districts to prohibit students' nonacademic use of cellphones and other personal internet-enabled devices throughout the school day.

In a report published Friday by Atlantic City Public Schools, students, teachers and administrators described an unexpectedly smooth start to the new policy.

Principal Constance Days-Chapman said the school communicated the new expectations to students and parents before classes began.

"We communicated the expectations to parents and students through social media, announcements and posts, and at this point, they understand," Days-Chapman told the district.

She said she had met with teachers and they had reported no significant problems.

"The only way a schoolwide initiative works is if we enforce it schoolwide," Days-Chapman said in the district report.

Students Adjust to Life Without Their Phones

Some of the most revealing reactions included in the district's report came from students themselves.

Senior J'Adore Smartel said removing phones from the school day is changing how students interact with one another.

"It forces students to engage," Smartel told the district.

She described a disconnect familiar to many teenagers: Students may regularly interact through social media while barely acknowledging one another when they meet in person.

"Online, everybody interacts," Smartel said. "People like and comment on each other's posts, but nobody knows each other in real life."

Not every student is thrilled about giving up the screen time.

Senior Javon Lane told the district he previously spent lunchtime scrolling through his phone.

"It's been heartbreaking," Lane joked.

He said he is now using some of that time to watch football film and prepare for games.

Health and physical education teacher Domonique Shannon-Beaman also told the district she noticed a change while working lunch duty.

"I see less scrolling and more socializing," Shannon-Beaman said.

She said she even saw a student using a Chromebook to play a math game.

New Rules Across New Jersey

Atlantic City's experience comes as public schools throughout New Jersey implement new restrictions required under legislation signed Jan. 8 by then-Gov. Phil Murphy.

Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, every public school board in New Jersey is required to adopt a "bell-to-bell" policy prohibiting students' nonacademic use of personal internet-enabled devices during the school day, with limited exceptions.

The rules extend beyond smartphones to other personal internet-enabled devices such as tablets, smartwatches and smart glasses.

Districts retain flexibility in deciding how devices are stored, supervised and how the rules are enforced.

State guidance identifies several potential approaches, including locked pouches, school-managed lockers or bins, classroom storage or allowing students to keep devices powered off and stored in backpacks or lockers.

The law also requires exceptions in certain circumstances, including when a device is needed under an individualized education program, Section 504 plan or student health plan, or for translation services, caregiving responsibilities, emergencies and certain other documented needs.

State education officials say the goal is to reduce distractions and promote academic engagement, student well-being and a more positive school environment.

Early Results Encouraging, District Says

Atlantic City Superintendent La'Quetta Small said in the district report that officials recognize how important cellphones have become in everyday life but believe schools must prioritize learning and personal interaction.

"The response from our students at Atlantic City High School has been encouraging," Small said.

She said students were talking with one another, engaging with staff and focusing more closely on the school day.

The observations represent only an early snapshot of the new policy. The school year has just begun, and the district has not presented data showing whether the restrictions have affected grades, attendance, disciplinary problems or other measurable student outcomes.

But Days-Chapman said the initial rollout has produced fewer problems than administrators anticipated.

"We haven't had many issues at all with students having their cellphones out," Days-Chapman said in the district report.

Atlantic City Public Schools said it will continue communicating the policy to students, families and staff and monitoring its implementation throughout the school year.

For now, the first days at Atlantic City High offer an early glimpse at what New Jersey's new phone-free school day may look like: fewer students staring at screens and more of them talking to the people around them.