The Hall County Board of Education voted on Monday to update its policies regarding the use of personal electronic devices by students during the school day.
The changes to the policy are to comply with new legislation regarding phones in kindergarten through eighth-grade classrooms.
The policy was last reviewed in 2015. At the time, the policy encouraged “Bring Your Own Technology” environments and stated that students could bring devices to school for instructional purposes. The guidelines did not specifically limit the use of personal devices in classrooms.
However, the revised policy now limits the use of personal devices during the school day for students in Kindergarten through twelfth-grade classes.
“The Hall County Board of Education is committed to fostering a learning environment that is free from unnecessary distractions and conducive to academic success,” the new policy read. “To achieve this goal, the use of personal electronic devices by students shall be limited during the instructional day in order to minimize disruptions, promote engagement, increase meaningful interactions and focused learning experiences.”
The guidelines state that students in kindergarten through eighth grade are not allowed to access or use personal electronic devices during the school day.
High school students will be prohibited from using devices during instructional time and during special activities or events, including field trips, pep rallies, guest speakers and assemblies. However, students in ninth through twelfth grades will be able to access their devices during class transitions, breakfast and lunch periods.
The school district defined personal devices to include, but not be limited to, cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, or any other device capable of wireless communication, internet access, messaging, video recording, gaming, social media access, or data transmission during the school day.
“Students who have an approved Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Section 504 Plan, or medical plan that requires the use of a personal electronic device shall be permitted to use such devices as necessary to fulfill the requirements of that plan,” the updated policy noted. “Parents or guardians should contact the school office for clarification regarding these provisions.”
The new policy will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year. Guidelines for following the new policies will be released in March 2026.
The post Hall County Board of Education updates device use in classrooms policies appeared first on AccessWdun.
