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NJ Might Repeal Law That Bans Pagers In School

Senator Ron Rice
Phil Gregory

New Jersey has an old law banning students from bringing pagers to school without written permission from the school board.

Lawmakers are moving to repeal it.

Senator Ron Rice was the sponsor of the 1989 law that he says has outlived its usefulness.

“We were at a time when you didn’t have cellphones and all the text messages and things like that. So, the pager was really used by drug dealers to take advantage of kids to be their street runners and their salespeople, and they were disturbing the schools.”

The technology has changed and Rice says schools now are free to develop their own policies about cellphones on school property.

“Now I really wish young people had pagers and not some of these cellphones and iPhones and iPods because I think they’re more detrimental. They just don’t make noise in school now. They just text you I’ll get the drugs after school. They don’t go beep-beep no more.”