Governor Kim Reynolds plans to ask the legislature to ban cellphones from classrooms in Iowa’s K-through-12 schools. Reynolds mentioned the proposal late last week during an interview at the Washington, D.C. bureau for Gray television stations.

A spokesman for the governor says personal electronic devices are a distraction and Reynolds believes Iowa kids should have the freedom to focus and be fully engaged in their education. Some Iowa schools have implemented cell phone restrictions for the current academic year. Advocates say it helps students be more engaged in the classroom. Officials in 10 states have taken steps to limit or ban cell phone use in schools. According to a non-profit group that monitors social media use, half of kids between the ages of 11 and 17 get nearly 240 messages or notifications on their cell phones on a typical day — and 25 percent of those messages are received during the school day.

O. Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa