Phones banned for the whole school day

What happened

Board Policy 5136, revised October 20, 2025, bans student use and visible possession of phones and other personal devices for the entire instructional day. Devices must be powered off and kept out of sight. Exceptions: a principal allows it for learning, an IEP/504 plan or doctor requires it, or on school buses and at after-school events with adult permission. Penalties start with a warning or confiscation and can reach suspension or expulsion.

Why it matters to families

Phones must stay off and out of sight from the start to the end of the school day, not just during class. The policy cites the Ohio law (R.C. 3313.753) that requires districts to limit phone use.

The evidence

Policy 5136 in the district's Neola online policy manual: 'Use or possession ... shall be prohibited during the instructional day'; revision history shows 10/20/2025.

The source