Halifax Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Halifax Area School District in Dauphin County enrolled 858 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It adopted a strict rule in 2023-24.

Halifax Area phone rules today

FOX43 reported on August 7, 2024 that Halifax would not apply for the state's lockable pouch grant. Superintendent Tyler James said: "We currently have a strict no cell phone use policy in place throughout the district... This was implemented last year and we want to continue to monitor adherence and enforcement." The district posts a Student Electronic Devices Policy page.

What Act 117 requires of Halifax 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	Halifax Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Strict no-use policy, districtwide (since 2023-24)	Confirm it covers lunch and passing time.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Not stated	State the possession 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	Not stated	Add medical, IEP/504 and English learner translation.
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	Student Electronic Devices Policy page	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Halifax chose not to buy pouches. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so a no-use rule can be enforced without storage hardware.

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 Halifax

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