Fleetwood Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Fleetwood Area School District in Berks County enrolled 2,247 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It tightened high school phone rules for 2025-26.

Fleetwood Area phone rules today

The Tiger Times, the high school's student paper, reported on October 27, 2025 that under a new policy students may not use phones during school hours except at lunch. Before, students could use phones in hallways, at lunch and sometimes in class with permission. Former Assistant Principal Jennifer Neiman said, "The new cell phone policy allows students to be more focused during school hours with better academic performance," and called the old policy too flexible.

What students said

English teacher Zachary Houp said, "The main reason behind the new cellphone policy is data and scientific studies, which support this decision." Sophomore Mia Johnson asked, "what if there's an emergency?" and senior Alex Rivera said, "People still sneak their phones in class anyway." Some students suggested office storage or locked pouches; the paper said the school may review the policy later in the year.

What Act 117 requires of Fleetwood 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	Fleetwood Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	No use except lunch	End lunch use.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Not stated	State how possession is restricted.
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	2025-26 handbook rule	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Fleetwood students say phones still get snuck into class. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the rule holds in class without pouches or office storage, and closing lunch is a schedule change.

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 Fleetwood

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