Peters Township School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Peters Township School District in Washington County enrolled 4,013 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It adopted a K-12 bell-to-bell ban in summer 2026, citing the expected state law.

Peters Township phone rules today

Effective at the start of 2026-27, students in grades K-12 may not access or use personal electronic devices during the school day, according to the district's "Personal Electronic Device: Bell to Bell Ban" page. That includes phones, smart devices, any internet-capable portable device and smartwatches.

• Devices are powered off or in airplane mode and stored in the student's locker or cubby, unless administration authorizes otherwise.
• Medical needs, such as diabetic monitoring, are handled case by case through a 504 plan or IEP.
• Parents call the school office, and students can use the office phone to call home.
• In a school-wide emergency, the district uses its automated notification system (calls, email, texts and ParentSquare).
• Devices are allowed before and after school; coaches and advisors decide for activities.
• Staff are expected to model the rule by limiting their own device use during instructional time.

The administrative regulation sits under Policy 237, Electronic Devices.

The decision

The Observer-Reporter reported on August 8, 2026 that the change came in anticipation of a statewide ban. Board member Sarah Kennedy said at a June meeting that "we will be making adjustments to the (student) handbook." Third-offense penalties include a Saturday detention for grades 6-12, and a parent conference with possible suspension for grades K-5. The paper noted Washington and Ringgold school districts have had bans since 2022.

What Act 117 requires of Peters Township 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	Peters Township today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Bell to bell, K-12, from 2026-27	Already matches.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Off or airplane mode in lockers or cubbies	Already a possession method. Check that airplane mode meets the smartwatch definition.
Required exceptions: documented medical need of the student or an immediate family member, IEP or 504, English learner translation, limited teacher-approved instructional use	Medical needs through 504 or IEP	Add English learner translation, medical need of an immediate family member, and IEP or 504 as its own exception.
Optional: a principal may approve another exception for up to one school day, with notice to the superintendent within 5 days after	Administration may authorize	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	Office phone; automated emergency notifications	Written notice each year and on enrollment of the staffed contact method and how to sign up for alerts.
Tell families, teachers and students about the policy each year; verify to PDE within 5 business days that it is posted online	Regulation under Policy 237; families confirm handbook review	Policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Peters Township already meets Act 117's core rule with lockers. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so it runs alongside locker storage for students who keep phones in a bag, and gives staff one way to see the rule is holding.

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 McMurray

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