Milton Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Milton Area School District in Northumberland County enrolled 1,911 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It adopted a new phone policy for 2026-27, a year ahead of the state deadline.

Milton Area phone rules today

The Standard-Journal reported in July 2026 that, "in accordance with state regulations school districts will be required to adhere to beginning with the 2027-2028 school year," Milton will implement a new cellphone policy at the start of 2026-27, which High School Principal Mike Bergey outlined to the board. Local radio reported that Milton students will no longer be allowed to use or possess cell phones during the school day. As summarized, phones are stored in a phone locker and refusing to turn one over can bring suspension.

The principal's case

Writing ahead of the change, the high school's student paper quoted Bergey on his goals: "Hopefully, we would see academic improvement, and that could be just from getting work done, work completion, to the performance on exams and the performance on state assessments," plus fewer discipline referrals. Under a full ban, he said, there would be no warnings, and "it may be that your parents are going to have to come pick up your device." Refusing to hand over a phone would be insubordination: "that's a real easy way to get yourself suspended." On emergencies, he said, "Within a very short period, no one will be able to make phone calls because the networks will be flooded."

What Act 117 requires of Milton 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	Milton Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	No use or possession during the school day (2026-27)	Aligned with the whole-day rule.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Phone locker	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 confirmed	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 confirmed	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 confirmed	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	New policy (July 2026)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Milton expects parents to pick up confiscated phones. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so there is no phone locker to staff and no handover to refuse, and Emergency Mode unlocks every phone on campus at once, subject to counsel review.

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 Milton

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