Press Release  AG Campbell Awards More Than $625,000 To 17 School Districts To Support Phone-Free Learning Environments

Boston — As part of her ongoing efforts to address the youth mental health crisis and support student wellbeing, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today announced that her office has awarded more than $625,000 to 17 school districts across the state to support phone-free learning environments.  

“Young people are facing a mental health crisis driven in large part by the constant use of their cellphones and social media. During the school day, kids deserve to be able to set those distractions aside and focus on learning and building relationships with their peers,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “We’ve heard from schools across the state how phone-free policies have improved students’ focus and connection. These grant awards will allow more students to experience those benefits and thrive in a phone-free environment.” 

AG Campbell announced the launch of her office’s Phone Free School Support Grant in May 2026 to help public schools, charter schools, and educational collaboratives establish distraction-free learning environments. Applicants were evaluated based on proposed bell-to-bell phone-free policy submissions that would be implemented with the support of the grant funds, alignment with recommendations outlined in the Attorney General’s Office’s (AGO) Phone Free Schools Toolkit, and other criteria.  

Recipients may use the funding for reasonable and necessary expenses associated with the implementation and evaluation of a bell-to-bell phone-free policy, including: 

• Phone storage and technology: Materials or licenses to support policy implementation, including lockable phone storage and technology that limits device access during the school day;  
• Staff training: Professional development and training for school staff or administrators; 
• Community engagement: Education and outreach to students, families, and school communities;  
• Program evaluation: Data collection and evaluation tools to assess impacts on school climate, student engagement, and device use; and  
• Accessibility: Translation and accessibility support to ensure inclusive participation and communication. 

Grant awards vary based on student enrollment, with individual awards up to $50,000. The following school districts were selected to receive funding:  

• Amesbury Public Schools 
• Cape Cod Regional Technical High School 
• Dartmouth Public School 
• Douglas Public Schools 
• East Longmeadow Public Schools 
• Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School District 
• Fitchburg Public Schools 
• Harvard Public Schools 
• Lenox Public Schools 
• Leominster Public Schools 
• New Bedford Public Schools 
• North Brookfield Public Schools 
• Northampton Public Schools 
• Pentucket Regional School District 
• Quincy Public Schools 
• Sharon Public Schools,   
• Whitman-Hanson Regional School District 

“Great schools are built on strong relationships, and Northampton Public Schools is no exception. With phones away, we’re seeing scholars look up, lean in, and connect. We’re grateful to Attorney General Campbell for helping us put human connection back at the center of the learning experience,” said Northampton Public Schools Superintendent Anna Azarloza. 

School leaders and teachers in Massachusetts have reported that cellphones and social media are driving classroom distractions, shortened attention spans, increased anxiety, negative peer interactions, and more frequent cyberbullying, harassment, and hate incidents. At the same time, schools that have implemented distraction-free policies, including the use of phone storage systems, are seeing increased student focus, improved peer relationships, and reductions in cyberbullying. 

This grant program is managed by the AGO’s Grants Unit and Director Liza Hirsch of the AGO’s Children’s Justice Unit.  

This grant is representative of AG Campbell’s larger effort to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis and protect young people and teenagers from technology-related harms. In August, AG Campbell joined other attorneys general across the country in announcing a landmark $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta that requires the company to make meaningful design changes to better protect young people and provides Massachusetts with up to $516 million. In January 2025, AG Campbell introduced the STUDY Act, a bill that would implement a statewide bell-to-bell cell phone ban during school hours to improve the overall learning environment and school culture. AG Campbell also has an ongoing lawsuit against TikTok for knowingly designing their social media platforms to be addictive and harmful to young users. 

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