The Lawrence school board on Monday unanimously gave final approval to a new cell phone policy prohibiting students from using personal electronic devices throughout the school day.
The policy requires students in all grade levels to keep personal electronic devices stored securely in an inaccessible location during school hours. This policy replaces the district’s current policy that was retired in the same motion.
The change follows a new Kansas law, “Senate Substitute for Substitute for House Bill 2299,” which took effect July 1 and requires school districts to implement cell phone-free school environments.
The retired policy, adopted in December 2024, prohibited device use during instructional time to reduce class distractions. The new policy extends those restrictions beyond class time, creating a bell-to-bell policy across district campuses.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Member Kelly Jones suggested an amendment to the language under the restrooms and locker rooms section of the new policy, adding the phrase “at all times of the day, including before and after school.”
Members GR Gordon-Ross and Shannon Kimball agreed with the addition of the language as it clarifies that those spaces where “reasonable privacy is expected” includes before and after school activities.
Exceptions will apply for students with an IEP or Section 504 plan and for students whose use has been approved by a licensed physician as medically necessary.
Superintendent Jeanice Swift said during the July 27 meeting that principals will develop the details of implementation, and the guidance was still unfinalized as of Monday.
Swift said the policy will be a significant adjustment, particularly for high school students who had previously been allowed to use phones in between classes. She said the district will share resources with families as schools prepare to implement the policy, while principals develop building-level guidance.
“I also know that this is a higher order change, and it will require a full court press between our staff, our teachers and administrators, all of us on the team, with our parents and with our students,” Swift said.
All grades except early childhood go back to school for the first full day on Thursday. Kindergarten, sixth and ninth grades go back for a half day on Wednesday.
Here’s the full policy, minus the addition regarding restrooms and locker rooms:
20260810-JCDC-usd-497-policy-personal-electronic-devicesThe board also approved a policy change that will bar district staff from using social media for two-way communications with students or parents. Read more about that at this link.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat — get the latest news from the Times delivered to your inbox:
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Courtney Lane (she/her), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. She can be reached at [email protected].
Read her complete bio here. Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.
More coverage: Cell phones in schools
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Latest Lawrence news:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
