A person writes mathematical equations on a whiteboard in a classroom or research setting. Photo: ThisIsEngineering / Pexels.
By Sean Reed | The Center Square
A bill banning students from using cell phones during the school day was unanimously recommended to be adopted by an Illinois House committee Wednesday. The bill, which was introduced in the state Senate during the last legislative session, has bipartisan support and has been a focus of Gov. J.B. Pritzker in recent months.
Senate Bill 2427 and its associated amendments were heard by the House Education Policy Committee early Wednesday.
The bill, which was also passed unanimously by the Senate last April, would require school boards across the state implement a policy prohibiting the use of cell phones and other personal communication devices from the beginning to the end of each school day, with some exceptions.
Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, questioned Lindsey Volz, a legislative advisor with the Governor’s Office, on how the bill would address students’ access to phones in the event of an emergency at school.
“Schools are able to allow exceptions if they choose to in the case of an emergency, and it’s up to the school districts on how the phone is stored as well. So, it might be as simple as reaching into their backpack or going to their locker,” Vols said.
How to securely store devices is left to the discretion of school boards, with public input on the new policies being required, according to the bill’s text.
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Editorial note: CUSD 220 refers to cell phones as a “non-academic device” for the benefit of readers wishing to view policies.
