Some hiccups emerge with school cell phone bans

It’s been a heated summer for school cell phone bans. Worried politicians and school districts in several states have been swarming to limit cell phone use during class time. In all, seven states have banned or restricted cellphone use in schools, and fourteen have introduced bills doing the same. Among the bills underway is California’s Phone-Free Schools Act, which cleared the state legislature in August and is expecting the governor’s signature. It would mandate every school district to develop a policy to curb smartphone use. As states start the school year, the challenge of actually applying and upholding these restrictions looms large. Complicating the matter, a recent school shooting in Georgia renewed a common worry among opponents—that depending on how they’re implemented, these policies might leave kids unable to contact their parents during an emergency.