Erie's Public Schools Cell Phone Policy (2026-27)

Erie's Public Schools (the Erie City School District) enrolled 10,593 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. The board adopted a bell-to-bell phone policy in May 2026, a year before Act 117 requires one.

Erie phone rules today

Erie News Now reported on May 13, 2026 that the Erie School Board approved:

• A bell-to-bell phone policy that bars students from using personal electronic devices from the first bell until dismissal, starting in 2026-27.
• A new dress code at the same meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Teresa Szumigala said the district had spent several years reviewing the issue before bringing the proposal. Reports describe secure storage and principal enforcement as part of the policy.

What Act 117 requires of Erie 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	Erie today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Bell to bell from first bell to dismissal (2026-27)	Little change. Confirm lunch and homeroom are inside the policy's school day.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Secure storage reported	Confirm the method is written into the policy.
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 confirmed	Check that all four required exceptions are in the text, including English learner translation and family medical.
Optional: a principal may approve another exception for up to one school day, with notice to the superintendent within 5 days after	Not confirmed	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 confirmed	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 adopted May 2026	Annual notice and PDE posting verification.

Where LockedIn fits

If Erie's storage is collection-based, LockedIn could run alongside it. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, which can reduce the daily handling of phones at the door.

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 Erie

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