ATLANTA — Current policy within Atlanta Public Schools states only high school students can bring their cell phones to class. It’s been a helpful tool to parents, wanting to know their child is alright in an emergency. Now, seeing the benefits, many parents of elementary and middle school students want the same opportunity. Certainly, emergencies come up at every grade level. Just consider the carbon monoxide scare at Finch Elementary School last December, that caused every student to be evacuated and bussed to a nearby campus. There was the shooting at Price Middle School in January, that sent a student to the hospital and put the school on lockdown for hours. Brown Middle School had a crisis of its own last week, when a mysterious itch evacuated the school’s third floor and sent 29 students to the hospital. At a safety meeting on Thursday, parents of Grady High school students, reacting to an accidental shooting there, impressed upon the district how much a simple phone call can mean. “It’s very important to us that our kids be able to have and access their cell phones at Grady,” said one parent has the room erupted with applause. There are concerns younger students will find cell phones too distracting and the district warns, early information is often misinformation. “We see often kids hear something and relay that information and so that’s a risk and that’s why we want parents to rely on information that they receive from the school district,” said APS spokeman Stephen Alford. But administrators say – they get it – and could take up the issue as early as Monday, March 4, to change its policy so more students can make that call. “If we can do something about it, we should stop it,” said state Rep. John D’Amico, a Chicago Democrat. The measure was approved by a 64-46 vote and now moves to the Senate. Using a hands-free device would remain legal. State Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican, voted against the plan and protested that talking on a phone would become a primary reason for police to pull over a driver. He said a cellphone is just one of many distractions that could hamper driving. “What about monitoring the volume of listening to the radio,” Reboletti said. “Or shaving.” The issue wasn’t a partisan one. State Rep. David Harris, an Arlington Heights Republican, said despite other distraction, lawmakers should ban the use of handheld phones anyway. “Our job is to make the roadways as safe as possible,” Harris said. The first offense would carry a maximum $75 fine, and making an emergency call to authorities would be exempt. Pulling over to the shoulder to make a call would also be legal under the plan approved Friday. A similar ban was approved by the Illinois House last year, too, but was ultimately never considered by the Senate. Senate President John Cullerton is a longtime traffic safety advocate who has expressed support in the past. Texting while driving is already illegal in Illinois, as is talking on a cellphone while driving in a school zone or construction zone, as well as anywhere in Chicago. A 2011 Daily Herald special report detailed the perils of distracted driving as well as the difficulty local authorities face in enforcing existing laws.buy android phones