Karns City Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Karns City Area School District in Butler County enrolled 1,297 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its ban starts in 2026-27.

Karns City Area phone rules today

The Butler Eagle reported on July 11, 2026 that Karns City is banning phones at its high school and elementary school starting in 2026-27, after the board acted in April and parents were told in May. "The expectation is that anybody who brings a cellphone would turn it off and secure it in their locker or bookbag during the school day," Superintendent Eric Ritzert said. "If we get reports of somebody breaking that policy, we'll address it. We don't want to be heavy-handed, but we expect students to follow the expectations." He added, "I think in the fall, when the students return, that will be the real test."

What Act 117 requires of Karns City 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	Karns City Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	School day (2026-27)	Aligned if it covers lunch and passing; confirm.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Off, in a locker or bookbag	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 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	Board policy (April 2026)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Karns City's rule relies on reports of students breaking it. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so phones can stay in a bookbag and still be locked, without the district being heavy-handed.

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 Karns City

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