Forsyth County Schools staff recommends extending 'bell-to-bell' phone limits to high schools; board to draft policy after public forum

Forsyth County Schools staff presented research and community feedback at a public forum and recommended the Board of Education draft a policy to extend a “bell-to-bell” restriction on personal electronic devices into the high school grades, officials said. Staff asked the board to give direction to develop formal policies and procedures for the 2025–26 school year; the board directed staff to proceed with a drafting and engagement timeline that includes a presentation at the May board meeting and a final decision in June.

The recommendation follows state-level movement on the issue and local data staff presented showing rising student mental-health referrals and discipline incidents linked to phone use. Staff cited House Bill 340, described in the presentation as the “Distraction Free Education Act,” which, if signed by the governor, would require local systems to enact bell-to-bell limits for kindergarten through eighth grade; the district is considering whether and how to expand the same approach to grades 9–12.

Staff framed the proposal as twofold: reduce classroom distraction to support academic engagement and reduce harms to students’ social and emotional well-being. "We want to give our kids a break, at least for part of the day," Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Amy Bartlett said in the presentation, noting the district had received 3,671 survey responses within about a week…