Fulton County school board votes to ban cellphones in class

Fulton County schools approves cellphone ban

Students in grades K-8 will not be allowed to use personal electronics during the school day.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County Schools will ban all personal devices like cell phones and smartwatches when students come back to class after summer vacation.

What we know:

The policy change prohibits the use of personal electronic devices for students in grades K-8 during the school day.

The board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the ban.

High school students will have to put their phones up during instructional time, but would be allowed to carry their devices at other points in the day.

Students will also be discouraged from using electronic devices on the school bus, with inappropriate use possibly resulting in disciplinary action.

Dig deeper:

There will be exceptions to the rule for students that have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Section 504 plan, or medical plan that explicitly mandates the use of a personal electronic device for medical or educational purposes.

The electronic devices affected by the policy change include personal laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, smart glasses, headphones, and other devices that can send messages or allow access to social media.

Schools must "establish clear communication protocols that require parents or guardians who need to communicate with their student during the school day to contact the school directly," to make sure parents know how to contact their students.

Fulton County is the second district to approve some sort of change this week.

Big picture view:

Earlier this week, Rockdale County Public Schools announced it will require pre-K-8 students to put their phones in locked pouches throughout the week.

Related: Rockdale County schools plan to lock up students' cellphones

The Marietta City School District, DeKalb County School District, and Atlanta Public Schools already require students to secure their phones in lockers or pouches during the school day. 

Districts around the state are putting in new rules after Georgia's Distraction Free Education Act was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp this year.