An ordinance that would ban cell phones in Mukwonago schools has been sent back to committee for further consideration.

With 70% of high school teachers considering cell phone distractions a “major problem,” one Tennessee lawmaker is looking to address the issue.

Another potential benefit to students having cell phones on their person in school buses is they can call their parents or dial 911 during emergency situations, as illustrated again recently with the fatal Appalachee High School shooting in Georgia. According to Care.com, parents and students feel safer when they have their cell phones at hand.

Cell phone use in school is known to have a variety of negative effects on learning and on psychological health. Why have we not banned phone use in our schools?

We compared our current policy, which restricts cell phones during instructional time, versus the possibility of whether or not we need to do more,” said USD 259 school board president Stan Reeser. “There was a state task force on cell phones which dove into a little more than what our policy deals with.