School districts crack down on cellphone usage in classrooms

As a new school year begins, there’s a growing push to crack down on cellphones in classrooms.

In South Carolina, state leaders passed a rule this summer telling schools to put a cellphone policy in place or risk losing state funding.

RELATED: Lawmakers, researchers push for school phone bans citing mental health concerns

Pew research shows more than 70% of high school teachers say cellphone use continues to be a major problem in schools. School districts across the country are putting policies in place in an attempt to remove distractions and improve learning.

The new policies come as studies show students report a rise in worsening mental health linked to social media. The U.S. Surgeon General declared the problem the “defining public health crisis of our time.”

(WATCH BELOW: CMS to ban student cellphone use during class this year)