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Piper board adopts district-wide "bell-to-bell" ban on student devices to align with state law
Summary
The Piper USD 203 board on July 13 approved an amended student code of conduct and acceptable-use policy that prohibit students' personal phones and similar devices during the school day, aligning district policy with recent state legislation; administrators will determine day-to-day enforcement and exceptions for medical needs.
Piper USD 203's school board unanimously approved an amended student code of conduct on July 13 that implements a district-wide "bell-to-bell" ban on cell phones and similar devices during the school day, aligning the district policy with recently passed state legislation.
The change, presented by Dr. Wynne, implements a single district policy that applies in all buildings "bell to bell" and requires devices, Bluetooth accessories and earbuds to be stored away and inaccessible during instruction. "Bell to bell, prohibition of cell phones, Bluetooth devices, smartphones, earbuds, all such devices, need to be stored away during the school day and cannot be accessible to them," Dr. Wynne said in explaining the policy change.
Board members asked several logistical questions about storage and enforcement, including how elementary students would keep devices secure and whether buses present a unique challenge. James, a district staff member responsible for communications and technology policy, said the acceptable-use revisions explicitly address students with IEP or 504 plans who may require a device for medical reasons ("about to have their cell phone on them for tracking, blood sugar levels or whatever it may be"). He also said district-approved, monitored platforms will be used for staff-to-student communications and that records can be requested if needed.
The board approved both the code of conduct (which incorporates the device prohibition) and the amended acceptable-use policy by unanimous votes. Administration told the board that building administrators will continue work on day-to-day enforcement protocols and parent/student communications; staff said district communications to staff, students and parents will be distributed before school begins.
Why it matters: The policy change standardizes device rules across all Piper campuses and limits informal, nonapproved communication platforms previously used for team and class messaging. The district framed the policy as compliance with state law and as a step to ensure consistent implementation across elementary, middle and high school buildings.
What happens next: Building administrators will develop enforcement procedures and staff will issue communications to families and students about the new expectations before the school year begins. The board recorded the approvals as formal motions that passed 6-0.
