West Chester Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

West Chester Area School District (WCASD) enrolled 12,042 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. Its superintendent has questioned whether a state law is the right answer, and Act 117 now makes the choice for the district.

West Chester phone rules today

WCASD's rule is Policy 237, in place since 2015: "The Board prohibits use of personal technology by students during the school day in district buildings; on district property; on district buses and vehicles, and during the time students are under the supervision of the district... unless use is permitted under the guidelines of this policy."

• Enforcement, not new rules. In 2024, district communications manager Molly Schwemler told Hello West Chester the policy got minor clarifications but "what has evolved is our focus on enforcement."
• Uneven across buildings. Superintendent David Christopher told the Delaware Valley Journal in July 2025 that students were "very compliant," but "it was very different across a building. Some teachers were much more focused on enforcement, and others less so."

Christopher also said, "I'm not sure that the law is the right decision," noting students are used to being able to reach their families.

What Act 117 requires of West Chester 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	West Chester today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Use banned "unless permitted"; high school lunch use reportedly allowed	Remove permitted non-instructional use at the high schools.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Enforcement left largely to teachers	Set one possession method and building-level enforcement, as Act 117 requires.
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 confirmed	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	Use "permitted under the guidelines"	Limit other exceptions to one school day with notice within 5 days.
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	Policy online	Annual notice and PDE posting verification.

Act 117 speaks directly to Christopher's concern about families: districts must give parents a staffed way to reach their child during the day, in writing, every year.

Where LockedIn fits

WCASD's stated problem is that enforcement varies by teacher. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so the rule works the same in every classroom. It can run alongside any storage the district chooses.

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 the West Chester area

Act 117's definition of "school entity" includes private schools, approved private schools and nonpublic schools, so the West Chester area'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.