Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) Cell Phone Policy, 2026–27

BCPS phone policy at a glance

Policy

Board Policy 5552, Use of Personal Electronic Communication Devices by Students, summarized in the 2026–27 Student Handbook

Possession

Allowed on school property and at school-sponsored activities

Use

Not until the end of the instructional day, except as below

Exceptions

Instructional use a teacher permits in grade 3 and up; high school lunch; middle school lunch where the principal allows it

Never allowed

Streaming or recording an incident, or playing back, storing or sharing a recording of one

Discipline

Under Board Policy 5550 (Student Behavior Code) and Policy 5500 (Code of Student Conduct)

Liability

The board is not responsible for theft, damage, loss or data fees

Last verified Oct. 12, 2026 against the district’s published policy and the state law it cites. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

What the BCPS policy says

The 2026–27 Student Handbook says students may have their personal electronic communication device on school property and at school-sponsored activities, but may not use it until the end of the instructional day. There are three exceptions: a teacher in grade 3 or above may permit use for instruction, high school students may use phones during their lunch period, and each middle school’s administrator decides whether students may use them at lunch.

Even when use is allowed, students may never use a device to stream or record an incident, or to play back, store or share a recording of one on social media. Violations are handled under the Student Behavior Code and the Code of Student Conduct.

How it fits Maryland law

Maryland's Joanne C. Benson Phone-Free Schools Act (HB 525; Chapter 596 of 2026), approved by Gov. Wes Moore on May 26, 2026, requires every county board to have a policy in place no later than the 2027–28 school year. The policy must bar student use of devices for the whole academic school day, from the first bell to the dismissal bell, including lunch, recess and passing periods, and must require devices to be stored so they are not carried on the student's person. Discipline must be tiered and may not include suspension or expulsion solely for a violation. Each county board reports to the state every year starting Sept. 1, 2027.

That goes further than BCPS’s current rule, which lets students carry phones during the day and lets high school students use them at lunch.

More detail is in our guide to Maryland’s school phone law and the phone-free school laws by state directory.