Mars Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Mars Area School District in Butler County enrolled 3,636 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its leaders said in July 2026 they would watch the state bill before tightening rules.

Mars Area phone rules today

The Butler Eagle reported on July 30, 2026 that Mars Area High School does not have a strict cellphone policy but has "practices" to control use, according to Principal Lindsay Rosswog. The 2026-27 high school back-to-school notices say phones are off and secured during instructional time and may be used in non-instructional time if not disruptive.

Policy 237 and the district's Bring Your Own Technology program allow personal devices for approved classroom use, and phones are barred in restrooms and locker rooms.

Waiting for Harrisburg

"I think it's most likely coming, that there's going to be cellphone ban legislation coming for the commonwealth," Superintendent Mark Gross said at the July 28 board meeting. Rosswog said, "I don't think there's a tried or true right answer," and that she expected to tighten rules even before the state acted. Middle school principal Todd Kolson said students are "more focused on their phone than they are on the instruction," but recommended waiting to see what the state adopts. A staff survey was planned.

What Act 117 requires of Mars 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	Mars Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	HS use in non-instructional time	End lunch and passing time use.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Off and secured during instruction	State a whole-day 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	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	BYOT classroom use with approval	Teacher use must meet Act 117's three conditions; other exceptions capped at one day. BYOT phone use in class would need to fit those limits.
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	Policy 237 and BYOT pages	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Mars Area relies on personal devices for BYOT lessons. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the district can unlock for an approved lesson and keep the rest of the day locked, alongside whatever storage it chooses.

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 Mars

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