GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) will soon be working to draft a policy banning the use of cell phones and other personal electronic communications devices in classrooms.

A proviso included in the state’s FY 2024-25 budget says that in order for school districts to receive state funding, they will need to implement the policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

A legal advisor for SCDE sent a memo to all state superintendents at the end of June about plans for the policy if the budget passed. The memo says more than half of the teachers they surveyed supported a complete ban of cell phones during the school day.

Governor McMaster addressed the issue in his press conference last week where he revealed his line-item vetoes, commending the state’s legislators for approving the proviso:

A spokesperson for SCDE released the following statement on Thursday:

Below is the full memo that was sent to superintendents in June:

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