Shenandoah Valley School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Shenandoah Valley School District in Schuylkill County enrolled 1,283 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its rule already resembles the state bill.

Shenandoah Valley phone rules today

The Republican Herald reported on December 26, 2025 that students in grades 7 through 12 may use phones, earbuds and headphones only at lunch, and elementary students may not use personal devices during the school day. Superintendent Brian Waite said the procedures closely align with the state's intent. "Limiting cell phone use has improved student focus, reduced behavioral issues, and supported both academic performance and student mental health," he said, adding that the district would have to adjust its policy to comply with Act 117 as written.

Translation without phones

Exceptions cover specific educational needs, and newcomer students receive district-issued translation devices for instruction rather than using their own phones. "Policies that limit access to electronic devices work best when schools and families work together, and we are fortunate to have strong parent and guardian support in Shenandoah Valley," Waite said.

What Act 117 requires of Shenandoah Valley 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	Shenandoah Valley today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	All day except grades 7-12 lunch	End lunch use.
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	Educational needs; district translation devices	Act 117 lets English learners use a device for translation; add medical and IEP/504.
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 procedures	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Shenandoah Valley already handles translation with school devices. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so closing the lunch window is a schedule change, and any student with an exception can be handled from the same dashboard.

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 Shenandoah

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