Despite his concerns, Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill requiring public schools to limit the use of cell phones in classrooms.

By Gus Pirlot, THE BADGER PROJECT

Governor Tony Evers signed a bill late last month requiring public schools to ban cell phones in the classroom. Wisconsin is now the 36th state to restrict the use of electronic devices in some capacity in schools.

Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, at the latest, the law says school boards across the state must adopt a policy that prohibits students from using “wireless communication devices” during class time, other than those provided by the school.

School board policies may allow for the confiscation of a student’s device for the remainder of the school day, according to the law.

“I am deeply concerned about the impacts cell phone and social media use are having on our kids and their mental health, school outcomes, and how our kids engage and interact with each other and the world around us,” Governor Evers said in a statement. “We know that cellphones can be a major distraction from learning, a source of bullying, and a barrier to our kids’ important work of just being a kid.”

“While I wish the Legislature would have taken a different approach with this legislation, I will never stop fighting for Wisconsin’s kids and working to do what’s best for them, which is why I am signing this bill into law today,” he continued. 

Evers added that he typically supports decisions like this being made at the local level by school districts and school boards.

The bill, introduced by state Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and state Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), passed the state Assembly in February, nearly along party lines, with state Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) the only Republican to vote against. No Assembly Democrats voted in favor, but the bill passed the state Senate in October on a bipartisan vote. Most Senate Democrats voted in favor of the bill, though four cast votes against.

“This is an important bill that would reduce distractions in the classroom,” state Sen. Cabral-Guevara, a member of the Republican majority’s leadership in the state Senate, told The Badger Project in an email. “Wisconsin would join a number of states, including California and Florida, which otherwise do not agree on much, but see the value in banning these devices during instruction.”

According to Pew Research, 72% of high school teachers consider cell phones to be a major distraction, and 74% of US adults in general support banning them during class time. Teachers across the country have already taken the initiative on this, independent of legislative mandates. Long-term studies have found that while taking away students’ access to electronics may be disruptive in the short term, it leads to higher academic performance and higher rates of classroom attendance. 

Some opponents of phone bans in schools consider them to be government overreach. Some research has raised doubts about the effectiveness of phone bans on children’s mental well-being and focus. 

Many Wisconsin schools and districts already ban or restrict phones in class, but now all will have until July 1, 2026 to enact rules to prevent students from using electronic devices during instructional time.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.