Nick Bertrand, a St. Edmund's fifth-grader, looks over his box of school supplies, not sure how he will carry them to class on Friday's first day. Public schools open Aug 13. Photo by Myra Miller

While the dispute over Common Core standards is getting most of the attention as public schools prepare to open for the 2014-15 year, a new law involving something near and dear to students and adults alike may have more immediate effect.

The Legislature decreed this year that effective this month the use of cell phones and other hand-held wireless devices is prohibited by drivers in school zones during posted hours.