A phone with an unknown caller ID on August 15, 2022. This is what a scam call might look like based on the caller ID. (WLUK)
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Cellphone policies in Wisconsin school districts may once again be getting a makeover.
Lawmakers are now considering a new bill that would ban cell phones for the entire school day.
Many Wisconsin schools already have bell-to-bell cell phone bans in place, but Republican lawmakers believe making it a law will provide better support to districts.
“We’re not doing this because we think schools don’t want to do this, or they’re dragging their feet or that kind of thing. We’re doing this to help the schools out, because you know, there is this pushback that the schools get when they do this,” State Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, said.
Kitchens’ bell-to-bell ban proposal would prohibit students from using their cell phones from the beginning of the school day until the end of the school day.
This differs from a separate bill Kitchens previously authored, which passed in the fall and takes effect starting in July. That legislation bans cell phones only during instructional time, but allows phone use during open periods like lunch. He said this new bill will have better outcomes.
“I think we see from other states, the stricter you are — if you can physically take them away from kids — the more successful you’ll be, because you won’t have to deal with all the discipline problems of kids trying to to sneak a look at stuff,” Kitchens said.
Whether phones are stored in a backpack, locker or at home will be up to individual school districts. Kitchens said he worries about the mental health of kids and thinks taking phones away all day will be more beneficial.
State Sen. Jamie Wall, D-Green Bay, agrees.
“Kids are a vulnerable population, right? They’re young, so I think for all sorts of reasons — for learning, for socialization, for mental health — this bill is a good idea,” Wall said.
Wall is a co-sponsor of this bill and also voted in favor of the policy that takes effect in July.
However, others have concerns about Kitchens’ bill.
During the Senator Committee on Education Tuesday, State Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, said he agrees with the premise of the bill, but he’d rather see efforts focused on restricting social media from kids.
“I get that that’s a bigger ball to try to kick at, of trying to limit social media access to youth because of the damage. I’m not sure why you’re not going down that path,” Larson said.
The new bill has already passed the State Assembly. It now waits in the State Senate. If approved, the law would take effect by the 2027-28 school year.
Comments