On July 9, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 into law.

The bill is likely to have a profound impact on schools in Warren County and throughout the state, as it mandates a ban on the use of cellphones and smartwatches after August 28, even though many districts will adopt new procedures at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

The law requires districts to implement policies prohibiting cellphone use during instructional time, meal times, and passing periods, but allows exceptions for emergencies and for specific learning or medical needs. 

At Wright City, Superintendent Dr. Amy Salvo said that the part of the ban affecting lunchtime and passing periods will prove to be the major pivot for the district.

“We understand this is a shift,” Salvo said. “We appreciate community support as we work to follow state requirements while continuing to create a safe, focused learning environment for our students.”

In terms of enforcement of the new law, new Wright City High School Principal Jason Theodorakos said that administration and staff will be in complete harmony when it comes to enforcement of the law.

“Staff will be trained on what the law requires and how to respond if a student is using or displaying a device during the school day,” Theodorakos said. “If a student is found in violation of the policy, they will be addressed according to the school’s discipline procedures. Our goal is to handle enforcement consistently, with an emphasis on reminding students of expectations and helping them adjust to the change.”

Salvo added that, on the grand scheme, the new law will have no impact upon the district’s communication structure.

“We’ll continue reaching out to families through our usual channels -– emails, phone calls, Infinite Campus, our website, and social media,” Salvo said. “Students will continue receiving information through their teachers, counselors and school staff throughout the day.”

At Warrenton, Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith said that even though the new law will bring changes at the high school level, specifically, he expects compliance with the new law.

“The board (voted) on changes on the 14th (of August),” Klinginsmith said. “At the end of the day, we’ll be following the law. At the high school level, what we did before was that they weren’t allowed unless the teacher allowed it. They were allowed during passing periods and lunchtime. Now, they’re not going to be allowed.”

In addition to the ban on phones, Klinginsmith added that the prohibition of the use of another easily accessible device may well also bring its share of hurdles.

“What’s interesting about the law is that it talks about what’s being displayed,” Klinginsmith said. “Smart watches aren’t allowed to be displayed or worn. So, that’s going to be a big change.”

“It might cause more problems (at inception),” Klinginsmith said. “Students might not want to give up their phones at lunch or passing periods. It could, potentially, be more problematic than what we already had for kids. The biggest change will come with the smart watches and the passing periods.”

The superintendent added that communication, which will still be necessary as far as sports practices, after-school activities, and like instances will be handled by the office.

That’s where, at appropriate times, he said, students will be afforded the chance to communicate properly with parents or guardians.

Klinginsmith added that R-III and its members and patrons have, for years, prided themselves on being at the forefront of issues.

Even though this issue will come with a push from the state, he expects the outcome to be no different than any of the other issues Warrenton has dealt with before.

“We’ve done a pretty good job, as a local school board, of coming up with procedures that are best for the district,” Klinginsmith said. “We’ve met with local patrons and discussed an issue and then have come back with an action plan. We’ve done a decent job of tailoring for what works best here, but now the state has come in and (legislated) for use across the state.”