The Iowa House has overwhelming voted in favor of requiring schools to ban students from using their cell phones while they’re in class. Representative Jeff Shipley, a Republican from Birmingham, says it’s an important move.

Shipley praised the Ottumwa School District and Des Moines Hoover High School for being trailblazers on the issue. A principal at Hoover — where cell phones must be kept in a student’s backpack — told Axios Des Moines there was a 31 percent increase in As and Bs earned by students in the fall semester and a six percent drop in the number of failing grades. There was also a 60 percent decrease in student suspensions at Des Moines Hoover High School last semester. Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, says many school districts have adopted successful cell phone policies that show restrictions are making a difference.

The bill, which has the backing of Governor Kim Reynolds, passed the House by an 88-to-nine vote. A similar bill is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate.

O. Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa