Wisconsin school district considers ticketing students for cellphones

Annysa Johnson:

There are a few ways a student could snag a municipal citation at Kewaskum High School in Washington County. Disorderly conduct. Underage drinking or vaping.

Now, under a proposal up for discussion by village officials Monday, the district might soon add whipping out a cellphone in class.

The Kewaskum School District is seeking a village ordinance that would allow for the ticketing of students who violate its cellphone policy a third time. If approved, it would be one of the more draconian policies in southeastern Wisconsin. But Vice Principal Mark Bingham said it was a necessary step to rein in what has become the No. 1 discipline problem in this exurban Milwaukee high school.

“We want to try to eliminate those distractions and truly utilize that classroom time for learning,” said Bingham. “Obviously … our hope is that we don’t get to that situation where we have to involve law enforcement.”