MADISON (WKOW) — Two Republicans from northeastern Wisconsin introduced a bill that would require school boards to adopt their own policies that generally prohibits students from using cell phones and other wireless devices in the classroom.
The following exceptions would exist in each school’s policy:
- During emergencies and perceived threats
- To manage health care
- For use in an IEP or 504 plan
- Teacher-approved educational purposes
School boards could also implement other exceptions that would benefit students’ education or well-being.
“Cell phones can be a distraction for all of us, but it’s even worse for students. The pressures of social media, interruptions, and not listening to their teachers are detrimental to children’s education and their mental health…
“The bill will help students learn to use technology responsibly by teaching them when it is inappropriate to use cell phones and how they can be distracting,” Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) wrote in a co-sponsorship memo.
The policies would include limits not only on cell phones but also on tablet computers, laptop computers, and gaming devices, the memo stated.
The bill would require the policies to be in place by July 1, 2026.
