Phones off and stored all day from September 8

What happened

Bloomfield adopted a bell-to-bell device policy on September 8, 2026. Policy 5516 stops students using an internet-enabled device on school grounds during the school day, defines bell-to-bell as the opening bell to the dismissal bell, and says a device brought to school must stay off and may have to be locked in a district storage system that only the student's own password opens. The rule also covers the school bus and school-sponsored events, and it counts smartwatches and smart glasses as well as phones. Classroom time must be entirely free of personal devices, and teachers may not build them into lessons. Before this version the policy was adopted in December 2018 and revised in February 2025.

Why it matters to families

This changes the school day for every Bloomfield student and how parents reach their child during it. Families are told to call the school office instead of the student. Eight exceptions remain, including an accommodation written into a student's individualized education programme, support for a 504 plan, a health plan backed by documentation from a healthcare professional, translation, and a student who regularly cares for a family member. A parent asks in writing and the superintendent must answer within five school days.

The evidence

District Policy 5516, Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices, is marked created December 2018 and edited September 2026, and its adoption history reads adopted 18 December 2018, revised 11 February 2025, adopted 08 September 2026. Its text prohibits student use of internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the school day under N.J.S.A. 18A:36-40b., defines bell-to-bell, requires password-protected storage, and lists the eight permitted circumstances.

The source