Grapevine-Colleyville ISD was one of several North Texas school districts that adopted new policies last summer barring students from using cell phones at school. Now that those policies have been in place for a semester, school leaders and parents say they’re helping limit distractions in class, which keeps students more engaged.

Efforts to ban students' cellphones at school is gaining rare bipartisan consensus in Republican and Democrat-led states

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed she is planning to call for a statewide ban on cellphones in schools next week. A cellphone ban would alleviate concerns over students getting too distracted and make schools safer,

At least eight states have banned phone usage over the past two years, and proposals are being considered in several more states this year.

Banning students’ use of cellphones during the school day has been rapidly gaining bipartisan ground in the states—at least eight have enacted such measures, and several more are considering doing so.

Beaufort County Schools got a head start on a rule that has now been implemented statewide by the South Carolina Department of Education. At the beginning of this month, all schools in the state have banned students from having phones or personal electronic devices out during the school day.