Laurel School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Laurel School District in Lawrence County enrolled 977 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its superintendent supports Act 117.

Laurel phone rules today

The New Castle News reported on February 7, 2026 that Superintendent Leonard Rich said a phone ban has been in effect for two years in both of the systems he oversees, Laurel School District and the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, and that he supports legislation to remove smart devices from classrooms. The district's 2026-27 handbook, as summarized in search results, has phones in lockers, classroom caddies or designated slots, with grades 9 through 12 allowed to use phones at lunch.

What Act 117 requires of Laurel 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	Laurel today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Ban in effect; grades 9-12 lunch use	Confirm, and end lunch use if allowed.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Lockers, caddies or slots	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	Handbook (2026-27)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Laurel's superintendent already backs the state rule. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so moving from caddies to a whole-day rule 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 New Castle

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