Tussey Mountain School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Tussey Mountain School District in Bedford County enrolled 925 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its superintendent wants the state to set the rule.

Tussey Mountain phone rules today

WJAC reported on August 19, 2026 that Superintendent Jerry Shoemaker supports a phone ban but believes the state should require it: "I think that if we did it as a school, it would be suicide. I think that the only way that it will work is if it is legislated, because I think for a school to go at it alone, without the force of law behind it, is to pick a fight with your parents." The district's current handbook rule was not read.

What Act 117 requires of Tussey Mountain 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	Tussey Mountain today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Current rule not read	Adopt the whole-day rule by 2027-28.
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	Handbook	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Tussey Mountain's superintendent expects Act 117 to settle the parent question. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the district can adopt the state rule without buying storage.

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 Saxton

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