Bill to ban cellphones in school heads to Gov. Kemp's desk
Apalachee High students warn against cellphone ban
A proposal to ban cellphones in Georgia public schools could become a reality any day. State lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill banning K through 8 students from using all personal electronic devices during school hours. It’s now on Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk, waiting for his signature. But some families of students at Apalachee High School want him to veto the measure.
ATLANTA - A bill banning cellphone use in public school classes between Kindergarten through 9th grade is headed to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk.
Georgia lawmakers in both the House and Senate have approved the restriction of personal electronic devices during school hours.
What they're saying:
Some families of students at Apalachee High School want him to veto the measure.
Two students and two teachers lost their lives when, police say, another student opened fire there.
Sasha Contreras still struggles with the terrifying moments. "Even months later, it still feels surreal," Sasha says. "It was just really confusing and awful day."
Sasha is a junior at Apalachee. She was in the building the day, police say, a student shot and killed two other students and two teachers. "It was traumatic, it was scary," Sasha said.
She borrowed a friend’s phone to reach her family. "I could barely contact my own loved ones," Sasha said.
Sasha wants Gov. Kemp to reject legislation that would ban cellphones in schools. "I hope he vetoes this bill."
Big picture view:
State lawmakers last week, overwhelmingly passed a bill that would prohibit students K-8 across the state from accessing their personal electronic devices during school hours.
"Hopefully this will have an impact and change some of the culture that we've seen in terms of social media and things happening where teachers were having to monitor phones instead of doing their practicum and learning during class time," said State Sen. Jason Anavitarte, (R) Dallas, who sponsored the bill in the senate.
"Completely bad idea," said Dina Valladares, whose daughter is a sophomore at Apalachee. "Parents should be in contact with their child if in case of an emergency such as what happened on September 4th."
Valladares also wants Gov. Kemp to veto the bill. "I would like him to think about it and consider the situation that occurred at Apalachee High School," she said.
Right now, a number of schools in metro Atlanta are testing out cellphone bans.
What's next:
Gov. Kemp’s office sent a statement:
"This bill will undergo a thorough review process during the 40 days following the conclusion of the legislative session before the governor makes any decisions."
SEE ALSO:
- 2025 Georgia Bill Tracker | Current Status of Closely-Watched Bills
- Georgia Senate approves bill to ban cell phones in elementary, middle schools
- Georgia House advances bill to ban cellphones in K-8 classrooms statewide
- Marietta City Schools shares details on cellphone ban: 'It’s created a community among students'
- Cellphone ban: DeKalb County Schools approves $400K for smartphone pouch pilot program
The Source: FOX 5's Christopher King spoke with families impacted by a proposed bill to ban cellphones in school.