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

Downingtown Area School District (DASD) enrolled 13,074 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. For 2026-27 it runs two systems: bell to bell for kindergarten through eighth grade, and "Classroom Clear" for high school.

Downingtown phone rules today

DASD's rule is Policy 237, Electronic Devices, with an administrative guideline (237-AG) revised August 8, 2026:

• K-8, "Bell-to-Bell, Off and Away." Phones are powered completely off and stored in a cubby or locker all day. No earbuds.
• High school, "Classroom Clear." Phones are silenced and placed in classroom storage, such as a caddy or cubby, during instruction. Students may use them at lunch in the cafeteria and during designated hallway passing periods.
• Covered devices include smartwatches and earbuds.
• Exceptions: documented medical needs through a physician form filed with the nurse (for example, a continuous glucose monitor), IEP, 504 or English learner plans, and emergencies, when "restrictions may be lifted under the explicit direction of administration or law enforcement."
• Discipline is progressive. In K-8, a first offense sends the phone to the office until dismissal. In high school, a first offense is a documented verbal directive. The guideline includes a "Check-In/Check-Out" option for repeat issues.

The board policy itself bars use in locker rooms, bathrooms, health suites and changing areas at any time, and bars photos, recording or livestreaming unless authorized.

What Act 117 requires of Downingtown 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	Downingtown today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	K-8 bell to bell; high school allows lunch and passing-time use	End lunch and hallway use at the high school. K-8 already fits.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	K-8 cubbies or lockers; high school classroom caddies	Extend high school storage beyond class time, or choose another 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	Medical (physician form), IEP, 504, English learner plan	Add a family member's documented medical need and the limited instructional-use exception. Check that the EL exception covers translation without a formal plan.
Optional: a principal may approve another exception for up to one school day, with notice to the superintendent within 5 days after	Emergency lift at the direction of administration or law enforcement	Have counsel check this against the one-day principal exception.
Written notice each year and on enrollment: a staffed way to reach your child, and how to sign up for emergency notifications	Not stated in the guideline	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 and guideline posted online	Annual notice and PDE posting verification.

Where LockedIn fits

Downingtown already runs bell to bell in K-8. The change is at the high school, where caddies only cover class time. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so it could cover lunch and passing time and run alongside the classroom caddies DASD already uses.

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 the Downingtown area

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