Reynolds School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Reynolds School District in Mercer County enrolled 960 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its ban began with a student request.

Reynolds phone rules today

WFMJ reported on October 21, 2025 that Superintendent Raymond Omer, who also leads West Middlesex, testified to the state Senate Education Committee about both districts' bans. "What happened here at Reynolds was that the students actually came to us and recognized as part of their initiative to improve academic performance, they wanted to be left without the technology, so as long as we had rules in place for everyone to follow of cell phones being banned, the kids were ok with it," Omer said. "The school is decompressed, the feedback from the teachers is that the students are more focused on academics, they're engaging from bell to bell quicker [and] there's less transition time in getting the class started."

Omer said he worked with each school on how to structure its ban, with different rules depending on students' and parents' needs. The association's written testimony lists a Reynolds addendum with ban data and policy, which was not included in the posted file.

What Act 117 requires of Reynolds 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	Reynolds today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Ban in place	Confirm it covers the whole day, including lunch and passing.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Not stated	State the possession 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	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	District policy	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Reynolds students asked for a rule that applies to everyone. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the same rule holds in every room without staff checking phones.

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 Greenville

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