Superintendent outlines timetable for phone ban under House Bill 34 and says district will not buy storage solutions

During closing remarks at the June 12 meeting, the superintendent provided a timeline and approach for implementing House Bill 34 (the Georgia Distraction-Free Education Act). He said the law requires districts to have a policy in place by January 2026 and that the ban on phones in K–8 classrooms becomes effective in July 2026.

"The law allows us to determine what that storage place is gonna be," the superintendent said, adding, "the storage place is going to be in a student's backpack or purse or pocketbook or what have you." He explicitly said the district would not invest money in separate phone storage solutions.

The superintendent also offered condolences for recent losses in the school community, congratulated the Class of 2025 for collectively earning more than $137,000,000 in scholarships and noted valedictorian GPAs as high as 4.875. He introduced the district's new chief financial officer, David Baker, and thanked staff for their work over the school year.