Phones off from bell to bell, with a ten-step discipline ladder at the high school

What happened

From autumn 2026 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 may not use personal phones, tablets, smartwatches or smart glasses anywhere on school grounds during the school day. Storage differs by level: elementary devices off and in a backpack or cubby, middle school devices off and locked in a school locker, high school devices off, password-protected and in a backpack - explicitly not in a locker. Earbuds and headphones are barred, and so are basic flip phones. Phones are allowed on the bus and before and after the school day. Middle school breaches run through a five-step ladder from a warning to detentions, Saturday school and internal suspension; the high school has a ten-step ladder ending in two-day internal suspensions with a mandatory parent meeting and daily device check-in at the main office.

Why it matters to families

This changes the ordinary school day for about 7,200 students and sets out exactly what happens when a phone comes out. Families who are used to texting a child during the day now have to call the main office, and students who need to call home use a landline there with staff permission.

The evidence

The district's published implementation plan sets out the legal mandate under N.J.S.A. 18A:36-40b, the pre-K to grade 12 scope, the storage expectation for each school level, the permitted exceptions (bus, before and after school, approved school-sponsored events), the bar on earbuds, headphones and non-internet devices, the middle school five-instance ladder, the high school ten-step tiered ladder, and the accommodation request process for IEP, 504, health plan, translation and caregiver needs answered in writing within five school days. Policy and Regulation 5516 carries the rule itself and was last edited in September 2026.

The source