AUSTIN (KXAN) — The idea of banning cellphones in Texas public schools received a big endorsement from the state's top education leader. While discussing recent student performance in key skills testing, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told the members of the Texas Senate Committee on Education Wednesday that he would encourage them to pursue this as a policy during next year's session. He argued smartphones are negatively impacting student progress. ‘It just can’t be turned on’: Lake Travis ISD debuts phone ban on first week of school "At least from my perspective, cellphones are extremely harmful for student learning," Morath testified. "And if it were in my power, I would have already banned them in all schools in the state." State Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, seemed open to the idea during Wednesday's hearing, citing concerns about young people's mental health. State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, commended several school districts that already took matters into their own hands. "While we make an attempt legislatively to ban cell phones from class, (Morath) said — and we have seen — superintendents have done it independently, and they are successful," Campbell said. "So everything doesn't take legislation. It takes leadership." If Texas lawmakers pursue a bill to accomplish this during next year's regular legislative session, they would follow in the footsteps of at least four states that already passed laws banning cellphones in classrooms. At this point, those include Florida, Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina. California could become the fifth state if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation that passed the state assembly. The Lake Travis Independent School District instituted a new policy this school year requiring phones to be turned off and put away during class. Now, grades prekindergarten through eighth grade are no longer allowed to use cellphones during the school day on campus. Meanwhile, two years ago, the Thorndale Independent School District made students start locking up their phones during the school day in a "magnetically sealed pouch." Critics of these proposals have often cited security concerns as driving their opposition since students would not be able to access their phones in the event of an emergency on campus.