A bill that would mandate restrictions on the use of cellphones in schools passed the Senate on Monday. Senate Bill 3695, also known as A4882, “requires guidelines on student use of internet-enabled devices to be developed by the DOE and policy to be adopted by governing body of each public s chool.” This would include use of phones and social media during regular school hours, on a school bus or during a school-sanctioned event. One of the bill’s sponsors, New Jersey Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, said, “I am proud that the New Jersey General Assembly passed A4882, legislation I sponsored alongside Assembly colleagues Cody Miller and Carmen Theresa Morales to address the impact of cell phones and internet-enabled devices in our schools. As both a legislator and a longtime school administrator, I have seen firsthand how constant notifications, group chats, and social media disrupt instruction, heighten anxiety, and pull students’ attention away from learning.” Gov. Phil Murphy must sign the bill and has previously said he supports guidelines restricting cellphones in classrooms during the school day, calling them a distraction. The Cherry Hill school district already has its own ban on student cellphone use. ...read more read less