Off and Away All Day: A Family Guide to Our New Cell Phone Policy

Starting with the 2026-27 school year, every BCPS school follows one clear expectation for personal devices: Off and Away All Day.

Students who bring a phone or other personal device to school must power it off and store it in their locker from the opening bell through dismissal. This page explains the policy, why it exists, how to reach your child during the day, how exceptions work, and how your family can get ready before the first day of school on August 26.

When phones are truly away, students focus better in class. They talk face to face at lunch instead of looking at screens. They feel less pressure to record, post, and respond all day long.

This is not about pretending phones do not exist. It is about protecting several hours each day when our students can be fully present with their teachers, their friends, and their learning.

*It is also the law. Under Michigan Public Act 2 of 2026, every district must prohibit student device use during instructional time. BCPS Board Policy 5209 goes further and protects the entire school day, including hallways, lunch, and passing time.

Office staff will deliver urgent messages promptly. Every classroom has a phone, and students can always ask to call home.

Pickup plans changed? Call the office and we will get the message to your child.

Appointment today? Call the office to arrange the pickup as usual.

Family emergency? Call the office and say it is urgent. Staff will reach your child right away.

The same way in every school: calmly, privately, and consistently. 

If a device is seen or heard: A staff member will quietly ask the student to place it in an labeled envelope that will be kept in a secure office location, documented, and returned at the end of the day. For repeated situations, a parent meeting may be required before the device is returned.

If a student refuses: The teacher will not escalate in the moment. An administrator will follow up under the Student Code of Conduct. We ask families to support this process at home so the next day can start fresh.

What staff will never do:

• No one will physically take a device from a student
• No one will search or scroll through a device. It is secured untouched
• Corrections are private, brief, and respectful, never a public argument

A few minutes at home makes the first day feel easy:

• Talk with your child about the new expectations so school is not the first place they hear it
• Practice powering the phone all the way off in the morning
• Save your school's main office number in your phone
• Contact the school now if your child has a documented medical or learning need
• Make an after-school plan together for when and where your child will check messages