There is a new state law allowing school districts to let middle and high school students bring cell phones into buildings. This is a logical step for Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration in keeping up with the times.

So far, only Port Huron schools have made policy changes in accordance with the law since the bill was approved last week. District administrators say this year will be a trial run to see if the rule is worth permanently implementing.

The law appropriately disallows students to use cell phones during class time. The last thing students need is another thing to distract them from the learning process.

But if a student needs to get in touch with someone in case of sickness or another emergency, it's only right that he or she be allowed to carry a cell phone to make the call.

Last year, ABC News reported nearly 20 percent of teenagers have a cell phone.

The new law has been adopted because the former one, a state law passed in 1988, banning electronic communication devices in schools, is outdated.

When mobile technology was just hitting the market, a negative stigma surrounded pagers and cell phones. "Back then, the rationale was only doctors and drug dealers used them," said state Rep. Lauren Hager, R-Port Huron Township, one of the bill's sponsors. "We live in different times now."

The law might seem silly. Cell phones ringing in class are annoying, and students might be able to send text messages to one another, sharing answers during a test.

If students do try to use their phones during class, they should be punished appropriately, whether it be they have their phone taken away for the remainder of the day, or completely taken away for repeated offenses.

But the pros outweigh the cons in this case. Though most schools have a few pay phones, it isn't enough to serve a couple thousand students in bigger state high schools. At any rate, why should students be limited to use pay phones when technology has advanced to cell phones?

If parents need to get in touch with their student to let him or her know of a late ride or some kind of family emergency, cell phones are the most efficient way. Relaying a message through the school's office isn't always the easiest way to do things.

The law also might have been inspired by tragedies such as the Columbine incident in April 1999. During the attack, students used cell phones to call police and parents.

Conversely, if there was a school emergency rumor, parents can save a trip and a lot of stress if their student is able to use a cell phone to call and say everything's all right.

Granholm and the Legislature took a step in the right direction by passing the bill, and other Michigan school districts should implement a rule similar to the one at Port Huron schools'.

Students and parents all across the state could benefit from the ability to use their cell phones in emergency situations.