East Lycoming School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

East Lycoming School District in Lycoming County enrolled 1,602 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It moved in two steps, 2025 and 2026.

East Lycoming phone rules today

NorthcentralPa.com reported that new Superintendent Dr. Gregory S. Scoggins told families Hughesville Junior/Senior High School is cell phone free for 2026-27: phones and other devices must be off and stowed from the first bell until dismissal. The district is assigning every student a locker and a lock; using it is voluntary, but violators may be directed to use it. Use is also banned on buses and during remote instruction, and recording or livestreaming needs written administrator consent.

Principals may let a student keep a device on their person for an IEP or 504 plan, or if the student is a member of a volunteer ambulance, fire or rescue squad.

The 2025 vote

The Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported in July 2025 that the board first barred 7th and 8th graders from having phones, citing "persistent disruptions to the learning environment and ongoing disciplinary/bullying issues." Board member Scott Ritter voted no because it did not go far enough: "We are so far behind on this policy and now we are coming to the table late and we're coming to the table in an extremely limited capacity." He wanted smartwatches banned too, saying they create a "wealth to poverty barrier." Then-Superintendent Mark Stamm said phones "are absolutely a distraction" but did not want staff to become "cell phone police."

What Act 117 requires of East Lycoming 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	East Lycoming today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	First bell to dismissal, Jr/Sr High (2026-27)	Aligned with the whole-day rule.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Off and stowed; locker and lock offered	Aligned: Act 117 lets boards decide possession.
Required exceptions: documented medical need of the student or an immediate family member, IEP or 504, English learner translation, limited teacher-approved instructional use	IEP/504; volunteer fire, ambulance or rescue	Add family medical and English learner translation; the volunteer responder exception is not in Act 117.
Optional: a principal may approve another exception for up to one school day, with notice to the superintendent within 5 days after	Educational use authorized	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	Annual notice of policy updates	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	Electronic device policy (2026-27)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

East Lycoming handed out lockers and locks to make its rule work. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so phones can stay in a bag or pocket and still be locked, and volunteer responders would be a question for counsel rather than a standing exception.

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 Hughesville

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