District to implement statewide cell-phone ban with lockers, medical carve-outs and insubordination-based enforcement

Homer Central School District officials told the board that a statewide ban on internet-enabled devices in schools that takes effect in January 2025 will change how the district handles student phones during the instructional day.

A district administrator said the law, approved by Gov. Hogle and the state legislature, requires all public schools to restrict use of internet-enabled devices during instructional hours and that the district will notify families with a letter outlining times and procedures. "We're gonna move forward with lockers and cubbies. We'll require the phones to be either silent or turned off," the administrator said.

The district emphasized a narrow scope for discipline. The administrator said the policy treats enforcement as a code-of-conduct issue: "You can't discipline for simply having the cell phone," the administrator said. Instead, failure to comply with a reasonable staff request to secure a device would be treated as insubordination and handled by building administration.

Administrators said the district will allow medical exceptions when documented by a doctor's note. "If they are required, he'll be allowed to have the internet-enabled device," the administrator said when referencing coordination with special education directors; the administrator added that the carve-out is about usage, not possession.

Officials also said the device ban includes smartwatches and that building staff, not classroom teachers, will be expected to manage most enforcement to avoid making teachers "cell phone chasers." Mr. Brennan was invited to provide additional logistical input on enforcement procedures.

The district said staff will start from a "place of trust" with students and families, then address violations as they occur. The administrator said administrators expect a busy first one to two weeks as staff and students adjust, but emphasized the goal of minimizing classroom disruption.

The board did not take formal action at the meeting; administrators said they will send a family letter this week explaining the schedule, storage options, emergency contact procedures and the medical-exception process.

Board members discussed practical supports: Mr. Finn noted the district has roughly 400 desk phones available for student use, and building administrators described plans to assign lockers for secondary students. Officials said parents may also keep a device in a student’s vehicle if the student drives to school.