CHARLESTON, WV (WCHS) — If House Bill 2003 is signed into law, West Virginia students will not be able to check their phones during class time. The bill, which passed the Senate on Wednesday, would prohibit cell phones from being used in class, which Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, believes could be beneficial.
‘Most of us grew up with bullies at school. We arrived home and were able to relax a little,” she explained. “These kids don’t have any relief. It operates 24 hours a day.”
Eight other states have similar laws limiting phone use, with a few exceptions. According to the West Virginia version, students with a 504 or Individualized Education Plan, as well as students using devices approved by the county for work-based learning programs, will be exempt. Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, has a different perspective on the bill’s main focus.
“A high school student challenged me and asked me if I could do my job as a financial advisor and state senator without a cell phone,” he said after he voted no. “Honestly, I can’t. If that student and the other students require their cell phones to succeed in class, so be it.”
Monongalia County, among others in the state, already has policies in place that require students to lock their cell phones in a pouch at the start of the school day. According to the bill, county officials will determine how to prevent phones from being used in classrooms. Cullen Hencke, a teacher, said it worked well in his classes.
“What I’ll say is that we have seen the prevalence and visibility of phones go down a whole lot, which teachers are going to appreciate,” he told reporters. “I’m obviously much happier not needing to constantly remind kids, ‘I need your attention,’ or ‘I need your phone away,’ or ‘I need something other than you doom scrolling.'”
Henke admits that there are some concerns about student security.
“Some kids were obviously upset because their parents had wondered about being in constant contact with them and that’s very important,” he told me.
Summer Grose, a Randolph County teacher, has a similar policy in place, which has worked well for her students.
“We are competing for the same level of engagement as the cell phone. “It wants the user to be engaged,” Grose explained. “It’s similar to how a teacher wants a student to be engaged. When they don’t have that device, we can truly connect with our students. That is the only positive I have seen.”
The bill will return to the House before reaching Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s desk. He has been outspoken in his support for banning cell phones in schools.
