Should phones be allowed in schools? Some local schools are banning them. We'll hear from a group of 7th and 8th graders from Williston Central School — Ella, Sunny, Ryan, Katherine, Evan, and Olivia — who share their relationships with their smartphones.Seven Days education reporter Alison Novak discusses how Vermont schools are trying to reduce student distractions. Dr. Heidi Schumacher, a pediatrician at the University of Vermont and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on School Health, explains the signs of phone addiction that parents should watch for.Eight states have restricted phones in schools. Last session, lawmakers introduced a bill to ban phones in Vermont schools, but opponents argued it would be difficult to enforce. Rep. Angela Arsenault, a Democrat, says she plans to reintroduce a similar bill in the next session.One school in our region has long banned phones: North Country School in Lake Placid, New York, a boarding and day school for grades 4 through 9. Todd Ormiston, the school’s executive director, shares the benefits and challenges of keeping phones out of schools. Broadcast live on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.