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Board briefed on House Bill 340: Barrow County to restrict K–8 student device access during school day
Summary
Administrators told the board the new Distraction‑Free Education Act (House Bill 340) will prohibit 'bell‑to‑bell' access to personal electronic devices for K–8 students beginning in 2026–27; the district will revise the student code of conduct and develop level‑specific procedures, preserving emergency communication methods.
Dr. Bowen told the Barrow County Board on Nov. 18 that Governor Kemp signed the Distraction‑Free Education Act (House Bill 340) in May and that the law requires K–8 students to be prohibited from bell‑to‑bell access to personal electronic devices beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
Bowen explained the statute’s key definitions — "bell‑to‑bell" (the entire school day), "access" (viewing, holding or otherwise using a device) and what counts as a personal electronic device (smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, e‑readers and similar devices). He said the district will update Board Regulation JCDR 3 (student conduct) during its annual review this spring so that any local code changes will be effective for 2026–27.
Addressing parent concerns about urgent messages, Bowen said there will be defined communications procedures and that elementary and middle schools will handle some functions differently; front offices will be busier initially but emergency communications will remain possible. He also said the district will provide guidance for families and staff when final procedures are adopted.
Next steps: staff will draft regulation updates and bring them to the board during the annual code review; the policy will be implemented for the 2026–27 school year.
