Decatur board begins drafting K–8 "bell‑to‑bell" device policy to meet state law

City Schools of Decatur staff introduced a draft policy to implement the state law that prohibits students in grades K–8 from using personal electronic devices "bell to bell." Amanda Lynch, chief of staff, told the board the district must adopt a local policy to comply with the statute and that a sample policy produced by the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) was provided as a starting point.

The discussion opened with local context. Lynch said Decatur High School piloted a classroom protocol this school year in which teachers collect phones each class period and students may use devices between classes and at lunch; administrators reported a 97 percent teacher compliance rate in a fall checkpoint and observed fewer disruptions. Lynch also presented teacher and student survey results showing mixed qualitative feedback and noted administrative discipline outcomes tied to the pilot.

Board members focused on how a K–8 prohibition would be enforced and how discipline language should read. Several members raised concerns about including detailed progressive‑discipline steps directly in the policy for very young children, saying it could unintentionally escalate minor incidents; staff said the district will align policy language with the student code of conduct and then craft regulations and procedures. Lynch told the board the policy must be in place by Jan. 1, 2026 and in effect for the 2026–27 school year to meet the statutory timeline.

The board also discussed exceptions and scope. Members asked whether off‑site school activities (athletics, field trips, overnight trips) should be excluded from a strict ban; staff advised that the statute leaves room for local regulations to define those exceptions and recommended deferring detailed operational decisions to a regulation rather than the policy itself. The board expressed support for consistent rules across school bands (e.g., all K–2 schools follow the same approach), and several members said the high‑school protocol that has been used at DHS should remain in place without being codified more strictly at the K–12 policy level at this time.

Board members asked staff to return a draft policy for first read next month that preserves the statutory requirement for K–8 access prohibition while leaving operational detail to regulations that can be tailored by school band. Lynch said staff will make the statutory requirements and the GSBA sample language explicit when seeking public feedback via the district's Assembly platform.

The board did not take a vote on policy language during this meeting; staff will bring a draft policy for a first read at an upcoming session and later present a recommended regulation to accompany the policy if the board adopts it.

Ending: Staff asked the board for direction on specific areas—discipline, field‑trip exceptions, and school‑band consistency—and will draft a proposal for the board's next work session and public comment cycle.