Winchester committee backs phased ‘bell-to-bell’ phone plan for high school, orders phone holders for fall

Summary

The Winchester School Committee voted to accept administration’s phased plan to limit phone access during class periods at Winchester High School, beginning with classroom phone holders this fall and data collection through the school year to inform a fuller bell-to-bell implementation targeted for 2026–27.

Winchester — The Winchester School Committee on Thursday agreed to accept Superintendent Doctor Hackett’s phased recommendation for handling student cell phones at Winchester High School (WHS), approving steps that administrators say will let the district learn as it moves toward a “bell-to-bell” model anticipated under a pending state bill.

The committee’s action sends a direction to administration to provide classroom phone holders (referred to in meetings as “shoe trees”), finalize communications to families and staff, and collect implementation data during 2025–26 so the district can return with a progress report and budget options for a fuller roll‑out intended for the 2026–27 school year.

The decision matters because a state-level bill addressing student device access has moved through the Senate and is pending in the House; the district must decide how to comply while preserving instruction, accommodations and some high‑school practices such as off‑campus…

Winchester committee backs phased ‘bell-to-bell’ phone plan for high school, orders phone holders for fall

Summary

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