A bill at the statehouse would ban students from using cell phones at school, but Indiana already has a similar law on the books.
Students are prohibited from using “wireless communication devices” during class time. That includes cellphones, tablets and laptops.
House Bill 1034 extends that to the whole school day, with exceptions for things like medical conditions, language translation and emergencies.
The bill’s author Jake Teshka (R-South Bend) did not respond to a request for an interview.
Erin Cooperman, President of the Board of Trustees for the Monroe County Community School Corporation, said she doesn’t think this bill will change much if it becomes law.
“From an administrative perspective, I think that it creates more challenges than it solves problems,” she said. “We would have to demonstrate compliance with state policy, which would require more time, more effort and frankly more money. That might move the needle in terms of benefit to the student only marginally.”
The emergency provision is confusing too, Cooper said.
“I'm not sure how the legislature envisions us returning cell phones to the hands of over 1,000 students in the event of an emergency like a lockdown,” she said. “I think many parents in MCCSC yesterday could provide you with a very real-world example of a time when they were glad that their student had access to a device that allowed them to communicate.”
There isn’t much evidence yet on the outcome of these bans, but more than 30 states have laws restricting cell phones in schools.
