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Update — February 27, 2026
Since this article was originally published, the Utah Legislature has formally approved Senate Bill 69, establishing a default bell-to-bell restriction on student cellphone use in Utah public schools. The bill now advances to Governor Spencer Cox’s desk and is expected to be signed into law.
This legislative action reflects growing statewide consensus among educators and policymakers that minimizing digital distractions supports student focus, well-being, and academic success. American Preparatory Academy implemented bell-to-bell, distraction-minimized campuses beginning in 2023 through our Minimize Tech / Maximize Happiness initiative, and we are encouraged to see statewide policy moving in a similar direction.
Recent coverage from the Salt Lake Tribune and ABC4 highlights growing statewide momentum behind Senate Bill 69, which would limit student cell phone use from bell-to-bell in Utah public schools.
Educators from districts such as Granite and Alpine have publicly shared their support for reducing classroom distractions, noting that many schools are already close to implementing similar standards. In at least one case, a Granite district high school reported its lowest failure rates in five years after strengthening phone restrictions.
We are encouraged to see this thoughtful discussion taking place across Utah.
American Prep's Early Leadership
At American Preparatory Academy, this direction is not new.
In 2023, after reviewing research on student well-being and attention—including reporting from Sapien Labs—we launched our Minimize Tech / Maximize Happiness initiative. Our leadership team studied data on digital overstimulation, attention fragmentation, and its impact on children.
We chose not to wait.
We implemented bell-to-bell, distraction-minimized environments across our campuses—reducing access to personal smart devices throughout the school day, not just during instructional periods.
This approach has helped students:
- Maintain stronger academic focus
- Engage more fully in class discussions
- Build healthier in-person friendships
- Participate meaningfully in school culture
While each school community must determine what works best for its students, our experience over the past two years has confirmed that minimizing digital distractions supports learning and connection.
Why Focus Matters for Reading and Learning
Sustained attention is foundational to literacy development, particularly in the early grades. Reading requires working memory, repetition, and mental discipline. These conditions are difficult to sustain in environments where devices constantly compete for attention.
At APA, distraction-minimized campuses operate alongside a literacy model grounded in the science of reading. Together, this alignment has supported strong outcomes for our students, even as statewide data has highlighted ongoing reading challenges.
Executive Director Carolyn Sharette recently discussed Utah’s literacy landscape, instructional fidelity, and the importance of focused learning environments in a podcast interview. Click here to listen to Mrs. Sharette
Click to learn more about APA’s Minimize Tech/Maximize Happiness Initiative
