Titusville Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Titusville Area School District in Crawford County enrolled 1,809 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its new phone rule drew student complaints in 2025.

Titusville Area phone rules today

The Derrick and Titusville Herald reported that High School Principal Phil Knapp told the board the new policy "has caused a little bit of an uproar." Knapp said it bans phone use "bell to bell," with devices permitted only between classes and during lunch. The district FAQ, as summarized, says phones stay on vibrate in pockets or backpacks and are used in class only for academic purposes.

Noting New York's statewide ban, Knapp said he "would celebrate it" if Pennsylvania followed suit.

What Act 117 requires of Titusville 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	Titusville Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	"Bell to bell" in class; use between classes and at lunch	End passing time and lunch use; Act 117's bell to bell covers both.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Pockets or backpacks	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	Academic use in class	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	New policy (2025-26)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Titusville's principal says he would welcome a state ban. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so moving from class-only to true bell to bell is a schedule change, with phones still in pockets.

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 Titusville

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