‘It feels like a weight has been lifted’: Cherry Hill students share their experience with the state’s new phone ban
Gov. Mikie Sherrill heard from students, two months after implementing the statewide school cell phone ban in New Jersey.
They play board games at lunch. They greet each other in the hallways between periods. They pay more attention in class.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill got an earful Thursday when she visited Cherry Hill High School East to learn more about how a state law that bans cell phones and devices from schools has impacted learning.
Junior Giovannina Viglietta, 16, said her stress level and anxiety have been reduced because she no longer checks her phone constantly and can focus on classwork.
“Without the pressure to constantly check messages or keep up with social media, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can be more focused in classes,” Viglietta said.
Effective since the school year began in September, the law has changed the school environment with fewer distractions, after some initial pushback, students and school officials say.
“Our teachers no longer have to compete with a device for their students’ attention, and they can create more engaging classrooms,” said Cherry Hill School Superintendent Kwame Morton.
» READ MORE: Two South Jersey school districts will enforce tougher cell phone policies
Sherrill implemented the law, which was signed in January 2026 by former Gov. Phil Murphy. It required New Jersey’s nearly 600 public school districts to adopt bell-to-bell restrictions on cell phones and internet-enabled devices.
The governor said she was impressed with the insight shared with her by a handful of students during a closed session roundtable prior to her media briefing.
“Giving students a school day free from constant digital distractions creates more room to learn, build friendships, and connect with their teachers,” Sherrill said. “We know that when kids put down the screens, their mental health and academic performance approve.”
The bell-to-bell restrictions cover the entire school day, from the moment students arrive, and include lunch, study hall, and between classes.
Cherry Hill East Student Government President Stella Kim, a senior, said the school culture was different when students were allowed to have their cell phones. She was skeptical the ban would work but says it has become “the new norm.”
“Everyone was really in their own world. They didn’t talk to each other,” said Kim, 17.
Kara Rogalcheck, 17, a senior at Cherry Hill High School West, admitted she “wasn’t the happiest” when the cell phone ban was implemented. She said she is enjoying her final year, living in the moment.
Said Vasisth Medavarapu, 16, a junior at East: “We’re definitely talking more.”
The law allowed districts to decide how the devices are stored. Some districts have locked pouches, let students keep their devices turned off in their belongings, or put them in lockers or stored in classrooms.
Cherry Hill East students said they were pleased that the district allows them to keep their phones with them, and that makes them feel trusted. The schools have locked phone boxes used to store phones for repeat violations. The phones are returned at the end of the day in most cases.
State Education Commissioner Lily Laux said districts across the state are reporting positive results. It may take years to see the full impact of the ban, she said.
Educators say the problems with cell phones had become untenable. Teachers were frustrated trying to enforce the rules in class, while students watched movies or constantly scrolled social media.
Cherry Hill and several other South Jersey districts, including Woodbury and Deptford, voluntarily began enforcing cell phone restrictions before the law was passed. The Cherry Hill school board also banned cell phones for its members during meetings.
Morton said there have been few violations since the ban became mandatory. Cherry Hill has a tiered progressive discipline approach for violations.
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