MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin on Friday became the 36th state to restrict cellphones and other electronic devices in school when its Democratic governor signed a bill requiring districts to ban phone apply during class time.
The measure passed with bipartisan support, although some House Democrats said combating gun violence should be a higher priority than banning cellphones.
In signing the bill, Gov. Tony Evers said he believes decisions like this should be made at the local level, but “my promise to the people of Wisconsin is to always do what is best for our children, and that commitment weighs heavily on me as I consider this bill.”
Evers said he was “deeply concerned” about the impact of cell phone and social media apply on adolescent people. He said cell phones can be “a major distraction from learning, a source of bullying and a hindrance to our children’s important work of just being kids.”
This school year alone, fresh restrictions on phone apply in schools went into effect in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The push to restrict cell phone apply came quickly. Florida became the first state to pass such a law in 2023.
Both Democrats and Republicans have taken up the cause, reflecting a growing consensus that phones are harming children’s mental health and distracting them from learning, although some researchers say the problem is less clear-cut.
Most school districts in Wisconsin had already restricted cell phone apply in the classroom, according to a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The bill passed by the Legislature on Oct. 14 would require school districts to adopt policies prohibiting cell phone apply during school hours.
Of the 36 states that ban cell phones in school, 18 states and the District of Columbia ban phones throughout the school day, although Georgia and Florida only have a “bell-to-bell” ban in kindergarten through eighth grade. Another seven states ban them during class time, but not between classes or during lunch breaks. Still others, particularly those with traditions of local school control, only mandate a cell phone policy because they believe districts will get the hint and severely limit phone access.
Wisconsin law requires all public schools to adopt a policy banning cell phone apply during school hours by July 1. There would be exceptions, including for apply in emergencies or perceived dangers; to manage a student’s health care; if the apply of the telephone is permitted within the framework of the student’s individual educational program; or if it was written by a teacher for educational purposes.
