Phones put away all day, and a written rule for AI

What happened

Two rules matter day to day. Policy 5516 says that during the school day, for every year group from pre-kindergarten to grade twelve, phones and other personal internet-enabled devices must be put away at all times unless building administration has explicitly permitted an approved use, and the device goes back off as soon as that activity ends; refusing to cooperate means administration holds the device until a parent collects it, and headphones can be held for thirty days. The board revised it twice during the year, once in February 2026 on a single reading with one member voting against, and again on August 18, 2026. Separately, Policy 2365 on generative artificial intelligence, adopted in September 2024, warns that these tools may produce inaccurate or inappropriate output, requires pupils and staff to follow the district's Guidelines for Teaching and Learning with AI, and requires any artificial intelligence a member of staff uses for school purposes to be approved in writing by district administration beforehand.

Why it matters to families

Egg Harbor Township is one of the few districts on this site that has actually written down what may be done with artificial intelligence, including a requirement that staff get written approval before using a tool with pupils. The phone rule is stricter than many: put away all day, not just during lessons.

The evidence

Policy 5516, Personal Internet Enabled Devices, dated 18 August 2026, states: 'During the school day, students in grades Pre K-12, cell phones and other technology (personal internet-enabled) devices must be put away at all times during school hours, unless permission for an approved use has been explicitly granted by building administration or an exception applies,' that 'Upon completion of the activity for which the approved use was granted, cell phones and other devices are to be turned off for the remainder of school hours,' and that refusal 'may result in the student's device being taken by Administration, until picked up by the student's parents.' Policy 2365, adopted 17 September 2024, states that 'Outputs generated by an AI tool may be inaccurate, inappropriate, or incomplete' and that 'Any AI used by school employees for school purposes must be approved in writing by District Administration prior to use of AI.' The February 17, 2026 minutes record the single-reading revision of 5516 with one member voting no.

The source