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Massachusetts Phone Free Schools Support Grant

The Attorney General’s grant for Massachusetts schools going phone-free, for projects running Sept. 2026 through Aug. 2028.

The program at a glance.

Closed
Status
Closed
Deadline
Jun 5, 2026
Opens
May 8, 2026
Who’s eligible
MA public and charter districts, educational collaboratives and some nonprofits
Funding
$500,000 total; awards up to $50,000 by enrollment
What it pays for
Lockable phone storage, phone apps that restrict access to apps and the internet while allowing calls and emergency access, and training
Administered by
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office

Official program page. Checked . Deadlines change — email hello@lockedinapp.co and we’ll confirm the current window for your state.

Use this language in your application

Paste these into your Massachusetts Phone Free Schools Support Grant application. Your quote and support letter come from us.

Program description

The district will implement LockedIn, a software-based phone-free campus platform. During school hours on campus, the LockedIn student app (iOS/Android) automatically locks district-selected apps — typically social media, games, browsers, and messaging — on each student’s own device. Off campus or outside school hours, the phone works normally. Calls home and 911 always work, and approved functions (calculator, school apps, medical apps) and accessibility accommodations remain available. There is no hardware to purchase. Setup takes approximately one day per school, and a school can launch within one week. The admin dashboard gives deans automatic, timestamped enforcement and flags workaround attempts by student name, so enforcement does not fall on classroom teachers. Emergency tooling includes a live on-campus location map and one-tap release of all phones.

Need statement

Physical-storage approaches (pouches, lockers) impose recurring capital and operational costs and are routinely bypassed with second phones and forced-open bags. A software approach achieves the same policy outcome without hardware procurement, daily collection rituals, or classroom-by-classroom teacher enforcement, and preserves legitimate educational phone use and medical accommodations that blanket storage breaks.

Implementation timeline

StepWhen
Contract & kickoffWeek 1
Campus boundary mapping + staff training~1 day per school
Student onboardingDays 2–5
Full launchwithin 1 week of kickoff

Budget language

Software subscription: LockedIn, per-student-per-year, per vendor written quote (attached). No hardware line item required. Evaluation reporting is included via the admin dashboard at no additional cost.

Privacy & compliance

LockedIn installs no MDM profile and collects no texts, calls, photos, or browsing data. Compliant with COPPA, SOPIPA, and FERPA; data stored in the United States.

How it works

  1. 1

    Tell us the grant and your enrollment.

    Use the form below, or email hello@lockedinapp.co.

  2. 2

    We send a vendor support letter and written per-student quote within one business day.

    Both made out to your school or district and the program you’re applying to.

  3. 3

    Paste the language above into your application.

    If funded, setup takes about a day and you launch within a week.

Request your support letter and quote.

We reply within one business day with a vendor support letter and a written per-student quote.

Goes to hello@lockedinapp.co. Read our privacy policy.

Questions about this grant.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Massachusetts Phone Free Schools Support Grant deadline?

The deadline is Jun 5, 2026, and it has passed. Status: Closed. Deadlines change — email hello@lockedinapp.co and we’ll confirm the current window.

Who is eligible for the Massachusetts Phone Free Schools Support Grant?

MA public and charter districts, educational collaboratives and some nonprofits.

Can the Massachusetts Phone Free Schools Support Grant pay for LockedIn?

LockedIn is a software subscription plus implementation and training. Tell us the program and we’ll check it against the eligible-cost list, then send a vendor support letter and a written per-student quote within one business day.

Does LockedIn require buying hardware?

No — students use their own phones; no pouches, lockers, or bins.

Other phone-free school grants

ProgramWho’s eligibleDeadlineStatus
BJA STOP School Violence Program — FY2026School districts (up to $1 million) and states (up to $2 million)Oct 30, 2026Open

SF-424 due Oct. 30 on Grants.gov; the full application is due Nov. 6 in JustGrants.

New Jersey Phone-Free Schools Grant — Round 2NJ school districtsTo be announcedAwaiting announcement

NJDOE said it intends to run another round after announcing Round 1 awards on Dec. 18, 2025.

Pennsylvania school safety / phone-policy funding (post-SB 1014)PA school districts, intermediate units, CTCs and charter schoolsSee program pagePassed legislature Oct 2026; implementation funding varies by program

SB 1014 went to the Governor Oct. 22, 2026 and carries no funding of its own. PCCD’s 2026–27 School Safety & Mental Health Grants closed Oct. 16, 2026.

Federal Supporting Focus in Schools Act (S.5636)US districts (if enacted/funded)Not yet openIntroduced Sept 30, 2026

Introduced by Sen. Ruben Gallego and referred to the Senate HELP Committee.

Federal UNPLUGGED Schools Grant Act (S.5620 / H.R.4005)States with a statewide school device policy (if enacted/funded)Not yet openIntroduced

S.5620 introduced Sept. 30, 2026 (Sen. Mark Kelly, with Sen. Tom Cotton); H.R.4005 introduced June 12, 2025.

Delaware School Cellphone Pilot Program — FY26Delaware LEAs serving grades 6–12Nov 4, 2025Closed

FY27 funding hasn’t been announced.

Massachusetts Cell Phone-Free Schools Grant (DESE FC 9610) — FY27MA public districts, charter schools and collaborativesOct 21, 2026Closed

Funds run through June 30, 2027, with possible continuation in FY28–FY30.

New York Distraction-Free Schools funding — FY2026NY districts, charter schools and BOCES serving grades 7–12Aug 1, 2025Closed

One-time state budget funding; no FY2027 round has been announced.

Oklahoma Cellphone-Free Schools Grant Program — 2025–26Oklahoma districts that adopt a bell-to-bell policy for three years2025–26 school yearClosed

No 2026–27 round has been announced.

Texas Phone Free Schools Grant Program — 2025–2026Texas ISDs and open-enrollment charter schoolsFeb 18, 2026Closed

No 2026–27 cycle has been announced.

All phone-free school grants