Corry Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Corry Area School District in Erie County enrolled 1,807 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its middle-high school went phone free for 2026-27.

Corry Area phone rules today

The Corry Journal reported on August 27, 2026 that a new policy at Corry Area Middle-High School, grades 6 through 12, prohibits phones between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The year before, students could use phones between classes and at lunch. "The first day of the cell phone free environment went exceptionally well," an administrator told the paper. "It was awesome to see how many kids were interacting at lunches and realizing that they could get through the day without their cell phones."

The elementary code of conduct ties device rules to CASD Policy 237.

Where it started

The high school's student paper had earlier described a rule that kept phones in a calculator caddy or locker during class, which most students opposed; freshmen were used to no phones at all in middle school.

What Act 117 requires of Corry 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	Corry Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	No phones 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (2026-27)	Aligned with the whole-day rule if it covers the full school day.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Not stated	State the possession method.
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	Write in 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	Teacher use must meet Act 117's three conditions; other exceptions capped at one day.
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	Policy 237; new rule (2026-27)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Corry already covers lunch and passing time. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the 8:30 to 3 window holds without caddies or lockers, alongside whatever storage the school keeps.

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 Corry

Act 117's definition of "school entity" includes private schools, approved private schools and nonpublic schools, so Corry'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.