Wisconsin Could Expand School Cell Phone Ban
GOP wants to toughen law passed in October with 'bell-to-bell' ban on phones.
Mobile phone. Commons Zero (CC0)
Wisconsin became the 36th state to implement cell phone restrictions for schools in October, but legislators say it didn’t go far enough to support educators or student mental health.
Wisconsin Act 42 requires school boards to adopt policies by July 1, 2026, that “generally prohibit pupils from using wireless communication devices during instructional time.”
A new Republican proposal would require schools to instead adopt a “bell-to-bell” ban on cell phones by July 1, 2027.
State Rep. Lindee Rae Brill, R-Sheboygan Falls, who co-authored the bill after serving on the Speaker’s Task Force on Protecting Kids, said this is something superintendents across the state are asking for.
Brill testified about the bill on Tuesday during the Senate Committee on Education.
“I had one superintendent tell me a story about a student who had her phone taken away because she had it during the time she wasn’t supposed to, and she was so visibly upset she threw up,” Brill said.
“We have a real attachment issue to phones in our state, in our nation,” Brill continued. “And we can turn our backs on it and say we’re over legislating. Or we can listen to the superintendents and teachers who see it day in and day out.”
Sen. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, who was one of the authors of Wisconsin Act 42, said he wanted to include this language in the original law but worried about pushback.
But now, after hearing from educators, Kitchens said he worries the original law doesn’t go far enough.
Kitchens said since smartphones and social media became prevalent in 2010 the mental health of young people across the world has rapidly declined, particularly among young girls.
Superintendent testifies student cell phone saved lives
Not all superintendents support bell-to-bell legislation.
During a public hearing on the proposal on Feb. 5, Patrick Rau, superintendent of the Peshtigo School District, testified the bill removes local flexibility at a time when student safety matters most.
Rau testified that during a recent blood drive that was open to the community, a student used their cell phone to report a credible concern. Police were called and arrested a man on campus who was carrying a loaded handgun and two knives, Rau said.
“When seconds matter, removing the option for responsible cell phone use is not a neutral choice, it introduces additional risk,” Rau testified. “Moreover, the emergency exemption included in the bill is not practical in real-world application.”
Rau said like many districts across the state, Peshtigo already has policies in place that restrict inappropriate or disruptive use during instruction. He said the policies also establish clear consequences for misuse and allows flexibility when safety or special circumstances require it.
More student safety bills coming to Wisconsin legislature
Florida was the first state to pass cell phone restrictions for schools in 2023. But the push is gaining traction.
This school year alone, new restrictions have gone into effect in 17 states and the District of Columbia.
Most school districts in Wisconsin had already restricted cellphone use in the classroom, according to a Wisconsin Policy Forum report.
Most Wisconsin school districts have a cell phone policy in place. Source: Wisconsin Policy Forum
On Tuesday, Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, said he supports the bell-to-bell ban being proposed, but wondered why the cell phone ban is being discussed again instead of a ban on social media.
“This bill doesn’t solve it all, by any means, but I do think this is an important piece in us making this a safer state for our children,” Brill said.
Wisconsin could expand newly-implemented school cell phone ban was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Do it, Governor Evers. Cell phones are a scourge. Teachers have enough to contend with without kids on their phones all day.