Wyoming Area School District Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Wyoming Area School District in Luzerne County enrolled 1,960 students in 2024-25 according to federal data. It locks secondary students' phones in pouches all day.

Wyoming Area phone rules today

The Citizens' Voice reported on August 21, 2025 that for grades 7 through 12, students lock phones, smart watches and connected headphones in Yondr pouches on entering the building and keep them locked all day, unlocking at one of six camera-monitored stations at dismissal. A lost or damaged pouch costs $35. Superintendent Jon Pollard said the old rule, phones at a designated place in each classroom, had proved unenforceable: "(It) was not in any way improving the learning environment for our students."

The board adopted the policy in February on a 6-3 vote. Vice President Peter Butera voted no, saying it was not appropriate for upperclassmen. The district acknowledged that a majority of parents who answered its survey opposed the policy, while noting a low response rate.

Parent concerns

Parent Walt Stevens asked, "I'd like to know what happens if somebody steals my child's Yondr bag that's full of thousands of dollars worth of electronics. Who's responsible for that?" Parent Joanna Pechal, a licensed social worker, worried the district might not grant exceptions even with a doctor's letter.

The evacuation

A month into the year, the Citizens' Voice reported that the Secondary Center was evacuated over a weapon threat. Staff carry portable unlocking tools, but many students had left their pouches in lockers and could not retrieve them. "We've been spending the last 48 hours reviewing what our procedure was," Pollard said. "We'll make sure that when that happens next time, that we're better prepared for it." He also said social media incident reports had disappeared and initially skeptical teachers were now "believers."

What Act 117 requires of Wyoming 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	Wyoming Area today	What changes by 2027-28
No student use for the whole school day, including homeroom, lunch, recess and passing time	Locked in pouches all day, grades 7-12	Aligned with the whole-day rule; extend to elementary if needed.
The board decides how possession is restricted (taking phones is not required)	Yondr pouches	Aligned: Act 117 lets boards decide possession.
Required exceptions: documented medical need of the student or an immediate family member, IEP or 504, English learner translation, limited teacher-approved instructional use	Parents question medical exceptions	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	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	Board policy (Feb. vote, 6-3)	Board policy posted, announced each year and verified to PDE.

Where LockedIn fits

Wyoming Area's evacuation showed the limit of pouches left in lockers. LockedIn locks students' own phones from an admin dashboard with nothing to collect, so there are no pouches to lose or replace and no unlocking stations, and Emergency Mode unlocks every phone on campus at once, subject to counsel review because Act 117 has no student emergency-use exception.

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 Wyoming Area region

Act 117's definition of "school entity" includes private schools, approved private schools and nonpublic schools, so the Wyoming Area region'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.