BATON ROUGE, LA – Public schools are updating their policies in accordance with a new state law concerning students’ cellphone usage in schools.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed the measure that bans students from having cellphones on their person. Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, authored Senate Bill 207 which passed the Senate unanimously and passed 84 to 13 on the House floor. The law requires phones to be turned off and stowed away during the school day.
“No student shall possess, on his person, an electronic telecommunication device throughout the instructional day. If a student brings an electronic telecommunication device in any public elementary or secondary school building or on the grounds thereof during an instructional day, the electronic device shall either be turned off and properly stowed away for the duration of the instructional day or prohibited from being turned on and used during the instructional day.”
Some parents say the change is a no-brainer. One parent says students can easily be distracted in the classroom, and banning cellphones can prevent unnecessary interruptions.
“I want them to learn,” the parent said. “I don’t need my child to have a phone and be trying to text while he’s supposed to be listening.”
I have a Senior and a tenth grader, both which are involved in after school events (sports) which means they need to have their phones with them incase they need to get in contact with me (mom). So fine if you feel it’s a distraction during the day, but they still need to be able to have them in their sports or cheer bags which can be locked in a bag room til the end of the day when they need their bags. I don’t care about the solution but there needs to be one. Cell phones exist there is no getting around that, pick and choose your battles with teenagers and younger, this is truly not one!