Butler Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026-27)

Butler Area School District enrolled 5,901 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It moved to a bell-to-bell rule for 2026-27 specifically so it would not have to scramble when a state law arrived.

Butler Area phone rules today

The Butler Eagle reported that on July 13, 2026 the board unanimously approved a first reading of a bell-to-bell policy for 2026-27, with a second reading set for August 10.

• Every grade. Kindergarten through eighth grade was already phone free during the day. The new policy adds the high school.
• Off and in bags for the entire school day.
• Why now: Superintendent Brian White said acting before the school year avoids mid-year confusion or a rush to implement a state law. He said studies show phones have a "profound" effect on performance and mental health.

The Senior High handbook says: "The Senior High School follows a bell-to-bell, no cell phone usage policy." It covers phones, headphones, smartwatches, smart glasses and personal laptops. Devices are completely off and out of sight in a locker or backpack. A student who misuses a phone may have to turn it over for specific class periods or to the office, and the school provides a cell phone locker for that.

Knoch and Karns City, also in Butler County, announced bell-to-bell bans for the same year.

What Act 117 requires of Butler Area by 2027-28

Gov. Josh Shapiro approved SB 1014 on October 26, 2026. It is Act 117 of 2026, and it took effect that day. The text is Printer's No. 1697 on palegis.us. Every school entity must adopt a bell-to-bell policy by the start of the 2027-28 school year.

Act 117 requires	Butler Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Bell to bell, every grade (2026-27)	No change in scope.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Off in a locker or backpack; office cell phone locker after misuse	No change needed.
Required exceptions: documented medical need of the student or an immediate family member, IEP or 504, English learner translation, limited teacher-approved instructional use	Not stated in coverage	Check for all four required exceptions.
Optional: a principal may approve another exception for up to one school day, with notice to the superintendent within 5 days after	Not stated	Optional one-day principal exception with notice within 5 days.
Written notice each year and on enrollment: a staffed way to reach your child, and how to sign up for emergency notifications	Not stated	Written notice each year and on enrollment of a staffed contact method and emergency sign-up.
Tell families, teachers and students about the policy each year; verify to PDE within 5 business days that it is posted online	New policy	Annual notice and PDE posting verification.

Where LockedIn fits

Butler's rule depends on phones staying in bags. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the office locker could be saved for repeat cases.

Act 117 has no general student emergency-use exception. The closest tool is the optional principal exception, which is capped at one school day and reported to the superintendent within five days afterward. LockedIn's Emergency Mode unlocks every phone on campus at once, so districts should have counsel review how that fits their emergency procedures and Act 117's exception rules.

Private and independent schools in Butler County

Act 117's definition of "school entity" includes private schools, approved private schools and nonpublic schools, so Butler County's private, independent and parochial schools need their own bell-to-bell policy by 2027-28. For those schools, the governing body plays the role the superintendent plays in a district, including receiving notice of any principal-approved exception.

Draft a policy that tracks Act 117's required exceptions and family notices with our policy generator.