Public support for restricting student cellphone use in schools has reached its highest recorded level, according to new national polling — a trend with direct implications for Colorado Springs-area districts weighing similar policies.

About three-quarters of U.S. adults — 77% — said they support in-class cellphone bans for middle school and high school students, while just 18% said they oppose such a ban, according to the Pew Research Center survey.

Support for all-day bans is also rising. About half of U.S. adults surveyed — 48% — said they support banning cellphones during the entire school day, not just during class, up from 36% in 2024. Still, 43% of those surveyed said they oppose the idea of a "bell-to-bell" ban.

While support for in-class and all-day cellphone bans is lower among younger adults, support for both policies has increased across all age groups since Pew began polling on the issue in 2024. A separate survey found the majority of U.S. adults said bans would improve students' grades, social skills, and behavior.

The findings come as a growing number of states have already begun implementing their own policies on phone use in schools. More than 20 states have adopted all-day cellphone bans, and 38 states have implemented other restrictions meant to limit student phone use, according to a tally by the Foundation for Government Accountability.

How local school districts in the Colorado Springs area respond to the shifting national landscape on student phone policies remains to be seen.