WEIGH IN: Should cellphones be banned in West Virginia classrooms? Governor says yes
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey called on the West Virginia Legislature during the State of the State Address Wednesday to help eliminate distractions in the classroom.
Morrisey brought up multiple aspects of education during the address that he hopes to reform, from school choice to teacher pay. He also called for a bill that would 'allow schools to ban cell phones in the classroom,' saying that 'other states have already seen success from similar laws.'
He did not call for a bill that would all-out ban cellphones on its own.
Several school districts have already put classroom phone bans in place. At the beginning of the fall 2024 semester, Monongalia County Schools started using Yondr pouches, locked bags that prevent students from using their phones during school hours.
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Although the policy was met with some concerns from parents, especially regarding contacting their children during emergencies like school shootings, according to Morgantown High School's website, the pouch supplier claims that 84% of schools who use Yondr pouches see a positive change in student engagement.
Many other school districts across the country made similar policies last summer, including Ohio County Schools in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle.
At the state level, eight states have enacted measure restricting the use of cellphones in schools, and bans are supported by members of both political parties, according to the Associated Press.
Tell us what you think of a statewide policy on restricting cellphones in schools in the survey below:
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