Students in the Stroudsburg Area, East Stroudsburg Area and Pocono Mountain school districts will have to put their phones away for the entire school day starting in the 2027-28 school year.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 1014 into law Monday, Oct. 26, creating a statewide "bell-to-bell" ban on student cell phone use during school hours. The law applies to every public school district, charter school, private school and career and technical school in Pennsylvania, according to the governor's office.
“Technology is a powerful tool, but it’s also a powerful distraction, and I’ve heard from parents and teachers who tell me about how our kids are too easily caught up by addictive algorithms that are preventing them from focusing on school, building relationships with other kids, and developing the social skills that help us all relate to each other in person,” said Governor Shapiro. “I listened to those concerns from parents and teachers all across our Commonwealth and called on the General Assembly to put a bill on my desk to get cell phones out of our classrooms. Today, I’m delivering on that promise alongside my colleagues in the legislature, and the very educators, parents, and students who will see the impact of this bill firsthand — because when we support our kids and invest in their futures, good things happen."
That means all three local districts must adopt and implement compliant policies before the next school year begins. None of the three districts has publicly commented on how they plan to comply.
What the law requires
Under SB 1014, schools must prohibit students from possessing and using personal mobile devices throughout the school day, including during lunch, recess and between classes. Students can use their phones again after the final bell.
The law does not require schools to physically confiscate devices. Each district will decide how to enforce its own policy, whether that means phones stay in lockers, backpacks or at home.
Schools must also notify parents of emergency communication procedures, provide opportunities for public input on their policies and publish those policies online.
Exceptions built in
The law includes exceptions for students with documented medical needs, special education or disability accommodations, English language learning devices and certain pre-approved instructional purposes. Gov. Shapiro highlighted those carve-outs at the signing ceremony at Lenape Middle School in Doylestown, Bucks County.
"One size doesn't fit all," Shapiro said, as reported by WNEP. He said the bill includes "exceptions for medical needs, for special education needs, for disability accommodations, and for English language learners."
Some House members who voted against the bill raised concerns that the exception for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) could create enforcement problems, GovTech reported. Students with IEPs have in some years made up nearly 19% of the student population statewide.
Why lawmakers acted
The legislation drew broad bipartisan support. SB 1014, sponsored by Sen. Devlin Robinson, passed the state House 141-62 and the Senate 47-3, according to legislative records.
Shapiro first called for the ban during his 2026-27 budget address, citing data from the 2025 Pennsylvania Youth Survey. That survey found 24% of students reported spending four or more hours per school day on social media. Another 36.3% reported four or more hours of total non-school screen time.
Pennsylvania became the 25th state to enact a bell-to-bell school phone restriction.
What local families should watch for
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has not yet released official implementation guidance. Districts elsewhere in the state, including Scranton, have said they are waiting on that guidance before revising their existing policies.
Local families should expect to hear from the Stroudsburg Area, East Stroudsburg Area and Pocono Mountain districts in the coming months as each board develops or updates its cell phone policy ahead of the 2027-28 school year.
