Alabama’s FOCUS Act in effect: Statewide law aims to curb classroom distractions

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The silence was jarring at first.

“It was quiet in the halls,” said Hoover High junior Harrison Morton, remembering the first week of school without phones. “We’re used to looking at our phones between classes because most teachers wouldn't allow us to be on them in class. That first week, we didn’t know what to look at without our device in hand.

“Eventually, we realized we could just talk to the person next to us — or if we made eye contact with someone, it didn’t have to be awkward.”

The shift Morton describes is playing out across Hoover City Schools and throughout the state this fall, after Alabama lawmakers passed the Freeing Our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety Act. Effective this school year (2025-26), the law prohibits student use of phones, earbuds and smartwatches during the instructional day — unless directed by a teacher or needed for health or emergency reasons.

Supporters of the law, including Gov. Kay Ivey, say the goal is to reduce distractions and encourage deeper engagement in classrooms. For students, parents and teachers in Hoover, the rollout has already led to changed routines, stronger face-to-face communication and some unexpected moments of adjustment.

WHAT THE ACT REQUIRES

Under the law, all public K-12 schools in Alabama must enforce a consistent policy banning student use of wireless communication devices during the school day. The legislation also requires school districts to provide internet safety education and implement new policies governing the use of school-issued digital tools.

Classroom distraction was a driving concern behind the law. In a 2024 Pew Research survey, 72% of U.S. high school teachers said cellphone use was a major problem in their classrooms. A Rutgers University study found that students in device-friendly classrooms scored an average of 5% lower on final exams than students in phone-free classes. The FOCUS Act’s supporters believe limiting phone use will improve student engagement and overall outcomes, though some experts caution that device bans alone aren’t a cure-all.

Hoover City Schools has long had a Technology Agreement in place for staff and students alike. The document emphasizes that the use of digital devices is a privilege — one that now falls under the tighter expectations of the statewide law.

ADJUSTING TO NEW NORMAL

For eighth grader Easby Morton, the timing of the law lined up with her getting a phone for the first time. “I have a phone this year, so it is probably a good thing to help me focus,” she said.

Her mother, Briana Morton — a longtime educator and parent of three Hoover students — sees the difference in focus and conversation.

“The benefits are clear: students are focused on classroom activities and conversations rather than whatever is on their device,” she said. “I’ve seen different problems with technology for different age groups. If my elementary student had a smartwatch, it would absolutely consume her day, whereas my older two are more disciplined not to let it distract them.”

She added that family communication habits have had to evolve, too.

“When I was a classroom teacher, I would get so frustrated with students responding to parent texts during class,” she said. “And then I became a parent of a teen, and I caught myself texting my kids more than I should have. If anything, I think the FOCUS Act has forced me to communicate ahead of time with my kids to make sure that we are all on the same page.”

Districts like Hoover encourage parents to use platforms such as ParentSquare and StudentSquare for messages that don’t require immediate responses during the day.

IN CLASS, BETWEEN BELLS

Without phones to lean on between classes or at lunch, students are rediscovering unscripted social time — and even classroom participation is changing.

“I’m asking my teachers more questions instead of looking up the information independently,” Harrison said.

Middle school students like Charlie and Cole Saggus, both at Bumpus Middle School, said the law hasn’t changed their routines much — they were already used to having phones put away. “We’ve never been able to have our phones at middle school,” said Cole, a sixth grader. “I haven’t seen anyone with their phone out, earbuds in or wearing a smartwatch,” added Charlie, who’s in eighth grade.

Their father, Dan Saggus, welcomes the consistency the FOCUS Act brings. “I’m glad my boys have the Focus Act,” he said. “I was in school in the ’90s, but if we had cell phones, I’m sure I would have needed a rule to help me concentrate.”

Morton agrees that standardization is part of the law’s value.

“The climate of what is acceptable and not acceptable begins at home but is implemented at the school,” she said. “But if parents and administrators are not on the same page, issues can definitely arise — and you have to have a blanket law put in place.”

BEYOND THE POLICY

For some students, being without a phone during the school day is a source of anxiety. Birmingham-based nonprofit College Admissions Made Possible is one organization working to help students adjust.

Through its Alabama Virtual Institute, CAMP reaches about 3,000 students across the state with academic and wellness programming. “Our Brains and Screens curriculum,” Executive Director Michelle Hayes said, “uses social-emotional learning time to retrain the brain for focus, calm and connection in a screen-saturated world.”

THE LONG VIEW

The FOCUS Act aims to create a more engaged, less distracted learning environment. While many in Hoover are seeing early benefits, parents and students say there’s still room to grow — especially when it comes to communication and consistency of the rules across grade levels.

For students like Harrison Morton, though, the early takeaway is simple.

“It’s different,” he said. “But I’m not just staring at my phone — I’m actually talking to people. That’s kind of the point, right?”