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Board adopts state-mandated bell-to-bell cellphone policy with implementation questions to follow
Summary
The board accepted policy JCDC to comply with a new state law that requires students’ personal electronic devices be turned off and stored during the school day except for documented medical needs; the board asked staff to return with implementation details on storage, locker use and parent communication.
Staff presented draft board policy JCDC and reminded members that a new state statute requires Kansas districts to adopt a policy prohibiting use of personal electronic devices bell-to-bell during the school day, with limited exceptions for documented medical needs such as insulin-pump monitoring.
The policy requires districts to adopt enforcement procedures and certify the policy to the State Board by Sept. 1, 2026. Staff said implementation details (handbook language, storage approaches, and parent communications) will follow and that KASB legal guidance is informing the recommended language.
Board members raised several practical concerns during discussion: whether lockers provide adequate storage and security, whether a central district kitchen decision might affect building layouts, and how high school students’ privacy and parents’ ability to contact students will be preserved. A board member reported hearing high school student concerns about privacy and the need to contact guardians in certain situations.
After discussion, the board moved and voted to accept policy JCDC as presented and directed staff to bring back additional implementation details and community engagement plans before full implementation.
Quote: "This law is in place for next year ... devices must be turned off and stored in an inaccessible location not on the student's person throughout the school day," staff told the board.
Provenance: Topic introduced when staff presented the statutory requirement and draft policy (SEG 628) and concluded with the board vote to accept the policy (SEG 884–SEG 897).
