Erin Gretzinger and Olivia Herken:
By next school year, every public school district in Wisconsin will be required to restrict cell phones in classrooms after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill into law.
While most Dane County schools already have some kind of cell phone policy in place, several districts, including the Madison Metropolitan School District, will have to make updates to comply with the new law.
Wisconsin is the 36th state to adopt statewide cell phone restrictions in schools, which supporters say helps limit distractions in classrooms and improve kids’ mental health. Florida became the first state with a ban in 2023, and 25 other states this year have enactedpolicies restricting or altogether banning phones in schools.
School districts across Wisconsin have until July to adopt policies that prohibit cell phones or other personal communication devices, like a tablet or laptop, from being used during instructional time.
Evers said he wishes the Legislature took a different approach to the bill but he signed it into law anyway to do what was best for kids.