The Elizabethtown Area School District Board of School Directors has approved a new Electronic Device Policy that will be implemented during the 2026-2027 school year.

Beginning with the first day of school on August 31, 2026, students will be expected to turn off and store their personal electronic devices throughout the school day. To support a successful transition, the District will spend the first several weeks of school reinforcing expectations and helping students establish consistent routines. Full implementation of the policy's disciplinary procedures will begin on October 1, 2026.

The policy reflects the District's commitment to fostering learning environments that are safe, focused, and free from unnecessary distractions. While technology continues to play an important role in education, personal electronic devices can create barriers to student engagement and disrupt the learning process when used during the school day.

By establishing consistent expectations across all schools, the District aims to support academic achievement, strengthen student engagement, encourage meaningful face-to-face interactions, and promote student well-being.

What Will Change Beginning October 1?

Beginning on the first day of the 2026-2027 school year (August 31), students in grades K-12 will be expected to:

• Turn off all personal electronic devices before the start of the school day.
• Store devices in their backpack, locker, or another location designated by their teacher for the duration of the school day.
• Keep devices out of sight and unused throughout the school day unless an approved exception has been granted.

The policy applies to personal cell phones, smart watches, AI-enabled glasses, Meta/Ray-Ban smart glasses, and similar personal electronic devices.

Personally owned headphones and earbuds may continue to be used only when specifically authorized by a classroom teacher for an instructional purpose.

District-issued technology will continue to be used throughout the school day to support classroom instruction and learning.

Implementation Timeline

August 31, 2026 - Expectations Begin

The Electronic Device Policy becomes the expectation for all students on the first day of school. Students should arrive prepared to turn off and store their personal electronic devices throughout the school day.

September - Education & Reinforcement

During the first several weeks of school, staff will teach, remind, and reinforce the new expectations while helping students establish consistent routines. This transition period is intended to ensure students and families understand the policy and are prepared for full implementation.

October 1, 2026 - Full Implementation

Beginning October 1, the disciplinary procedures outlined in each school's Student Handbook will be applied consistently for policy violations.

Student Handbooks

While the Board policy establishes districtwide expectations, each school's Student Handbook provides building-specific procedures and outlines the disciplinary consequences for policy violations, which may vary by grade level.

Working Together

The success of this initiative depends on a strong partnership between our schools and families. We encourage parents and guardians to begin discussing these expectations with their children before the start of the school year so students understand what will be expected beginning on the first day of school.

We appreciate the support of our families as we work together to create learning environments where students are fully engaged, connected with their peers and teachers, and able to focus on learning throughout the school day.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the students of the Elizabethtown Area School District.