Schools nationwide considering cellphone bans -- here's why | ChicagoNOWAcross the country, schools are rethinking cellphones in the classroom. New York already has bans in place, and the Los Angeles school districts, the nation’s second-largest school district, implemented one just four months ago. According to a recent study by Pew, 72% of high school teachers say that students being distracted by their cellphones in the classroom is a major problem.