Newton County Schools outline implementation plans for new state laws on records, literacy, devices and athletics
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
District staff briefed the board on four state laws — HB 268 (student-record transfer and safety reporting), HB 307 (literacy/dyslexia), HB 340 (K–8 device restrictions) and SB 1 (athletic and facility grievance procedures) — and described steps to align policy, data systems and training ahead of July 1, 2026 implementation dates.
District staff presented a legislative compliance update to the Newton County Board of Education that outlined the district's preparations to meet several recent state laws affecting records, literacy instruction, device policies and athletic participation.
The presenter said House Bill 268 requires districts to implement a process for transferring student records within five school business days and to strengthen safety reporting and coordination with law enforcement; the district reported it is reviewing enrollment and student-records workflows and working with Infinite Campus representatives to meet the timeline.
House Bill 307, the presenter said, includes new requirements about literacy and dyslexia: the district has shared a dyslexia informational handbook with staff and said the adopted K–5 core literacy resource (HMH Into Reading) aligns with the law's expectations. The presenter stated the district is providing structured-literacy training to teachers to ensure consistent K–5 instructional practice.
On House Bill 340 — described in the presentation as the "distraction-free" law — staff said the statute will require removal of student access to personal electronic devices for students in grades K–8 during school hours and school-sponsored events by July 1, 2026. Newton County Schools reported pilot programs at Herd Mixon Elementary (hanging cell-phone storage) and Liberty Middle (cell-phone lockers) and said it is updating policy and the student handbook to reflect the requirement.
Finally, the district said it has revised policy language to comply with Senate Bill 1 (the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act) to establish grievance procedures and facility-related language; the updated policy was posted for public review and submitted to the board for approval.
District officials said they will continue to update the board as implementation dates approach and will provide required training, communications and policy adjustments to comply with state law.
(Reporting note: legislative bill names and implementation dates are taken from the board presentation.)