ELEPHANT BUTTE— Senator Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) announced the pre-filing of a distraction-free school grant program today. The bill aims to incentivize the adoption of phone-free schools in New Mexico. This legislation seeks to address the growing concern about the impact of personal electronic devices on students' academic performance and social development.
"As a mother of teenage daughters, I have seen this issue up close," said Senator Brantley. "This is an easy step we can improve educational outcomes in New Mexico. But to be clear, this isn't just about improving education. Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and cyberbullying; these issues don't scratch the surface of the negative outcomes our kids are facing from unfettered access to the internet and social media. Removing phones as a distraction in school is a simple way we can make a measurable improvement in the lives of all of our students."
Major school districts nationwide, including Los Angeles, have recently implemented phone-free school policies. Senator Brantley's bill proposes a program to encourage and support New Mexico schools in adopting similar policies by creating a grant program to reimburse school districts for acquiring tools to implement the policy such as the Yondr Pouches used in Los Angeles.
The full bill pdf below
