NEW JERSEY — In the final days of his second term, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bipartisan education measures that push New Jersey classrooms in a more analog direction: one moves the state toward phone-free school days for K–12 students, and the other requires schools to bring back cursive handwriting instruction for upper elementary grades.
Murphy signed the phone restriction bill on Jan. 8, 2026, during a visit to Ramsey High School in Bergen County. The law directs the New Jersey Department of Education to issue statewide guidelines and requires local school boards to adopt policies restricting student use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices, with implementation beginning in the 2026–27 school year. “By removing cell phones from New Jersey schools, we are ensuring our classrooms are a place for learning and engagement, not distracting screens that detract from academic performance,” Murphy said. He also framed the move as part of the state’s broader focus on youth mental health and classroom engagement.
The phone measure, S3695/A4882, does not create one uniform statewide enforcement system. Instead, it sets up a two-step structure. First, the Commissioner of Education must issue K–12 guidelines covering student use of internet-enabled devices during school hours, on school buses, and at school-sanctioned events, with those guidelines due within 90 days of the law taking effect. Then, every board of education, charter school trustee board, and renaissance school project board must adopt a policy aligned with those guidelines for the 2026–27 school year. At minimum, the rules must prohibit non-academic use of internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the school day, while also complying with state and federal disability accommodations and student health plans. The law also builds in exceptions for emergencies or perceived threats, documented health needs, translation services, and certain case-by-case situations, including some involving student caregivers.
Less than two weeks later, on Jan. 19, 2026, Murphy signed a second measure requiring school districts to add cursive handwriting instruction for students in grades 3 through 5. That law, S1783/A3865, takes effect immediately and applies beginning with the first full school year after enactment, meaning districts must work cursive into their curriculum starting with the next full academic cycle. The measure requires schools to use materials and activities designed to help students become proficient in both reading cursive and writing legibly in cursive by the end of fifth grade.
Supporters of the cursive bill argued that the change restores a practical skill that had faded from many classrooms after the rollout of Common Core in 2010, which did not explicitly require cursive instruction. In a statement included with the signing, Sen. Angela V. McKnight said handwriting instruction can improve retention, comprehension, and self-confidence while helping students maintain a connection to written communication in an increasingly digital age. State officials also framed the law as part of a broader national turn back toward handwriting skills after years of declining emphasis in school curricula.
Murphy left office when Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as New Jersey’s 57th governor on Jan. 20, 2026, leaving the practical rollout of both laws to state education officials and local districts. That means the next key step for parents, educators, and school administrators is the Department of Education’s guidance on phone restrictions, which will shape how districts handle questions like device storage, enforcement, and accommodations for students with documented needs. On the cursive side, districts will need to decide how handwriting lessons fit into existing literacy blocks and how they will measure proficiency by the end of fifth grade.
Taken together, the two measures reflect policy debates that have been building for years: how much of the school day should be free from screens, and which foundational skills still matter in a digital-first era. For New Jersey schools, the answer now is moving in two directions at once: fewer phones in class, and more handwriting on the page.