Fairview School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Fairview School District in Erie County enrolled 1,938 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It adopted a lockers rule in 2026.

Fairview phone rules today

The PA Unplugged tracker lists Fairview as using lockers since 2026. As summarized from a GoErie story of August 24, 2026, students turn off phones, earbuds and other listening devices and place them in assigned lockers before homeroom, from the first bell to the last, emergencies go through the school office, and younger grades use classroom storage.

What Act 117 requires of Fairview 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	Fairview today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	First bell to last bell	Aligned with the whole-day rule if confirmed.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Assigned lockers; classroom storage for younger grades	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	Not confirmed	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 confirmed	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	Emergencies through the office	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	2026 rule	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Fairview stores phones in lockers before homeroom. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the morning locker stop is optional and the rule holds through the day, alongside the lockers.

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 Fairview

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