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Bordentown Regional School District to implement state-mandated bell-to-bell cellphone policy; launches new website and ParentSquare
Summary
District staff said the Board will adopt a bell-to-bell policy to comply with a state law referred to as '2627' that restricts student cellphone use during the school day, and described a July 1 website relaunch and ParentSquare rollout to support family communications.
The Bordentown Regional School District Board of Education heard plans to implement a state law referred to in the meeting as “2627” that will require a bell-to-bell policy keeping personal, internet-enabled devices put away for the entire school day.
A staff member leading the update said the state Department of Education set a minimum standard and that the district’s policy is “completely aligned” with those requirements. “We must adopt and follow a policy that keeps personal Internet-enabled devices put away for the entire school day,” the staff member said, describing the requirement as applying to all grades pre-K through 12.
The staff member said the district will publish a visual representation and guidance for families on the new website and will share additional information through ParentSquare as the district finalizes operational details.
The district also launched a redesigned website and began using ParentSquare on July 1, the staff member said. The platform will sync nightly with the district’s student information system so family contact information stored in PowerSchool will receive invitations and messages automatically. The staff member said the district will still distribute paper notices this year and will provide QR-code sign-up stations at back-to-school events for families who need assistance.
Why it matters: The change standardizes device expectations across grades and creates a communications pathway for the district to notify families about the policy and other school updates. Board members and staff emphasized they will continue sharing details online and at community sit-downs scheduled before the school year.
The district said further materials and a schedule of trainings for staff and families will be published on the new website; the meeting record does not show a final adoption vote on the policy during this session.
