TALBOT COUNTY, Md. — Talbot County Public Schools students will not be allowed to use cell phones, smart watches, headphones or earbuds at any point during the school day starting this year. The new "No Cell, Bell to Bell" policy takes effect on the first day of school, Aug. 24.
The policy will bar personal electronic devices from the time students enter the building until they leave, unless a student has a documented medical need or an approved accommodation. Previously, the district's phone restrictions applied only during class time, allowing students to use devices during lunch or while passing between classes.
The change comes as the district implements Yondr pouches, which will be used to store students' devices throughout the school day. Students will keep the pouches with them but will not be permitted to open them.
Easton Middle School piloted the pouch program two years ago, and St. Michaels Middle School followed last year — meaning Easton has had the policy in place for two years, while St. Michaels finished its first year with it.
TCPS Superintendent Sharon Pepukayi said the coming school year will give high schoolers, specifically upper classmen who have not had exposure to the program, time to adjust to the districtwide change.
"We're just going to keep rolling that up into our high schools where it's no cell phones, bell to bell,” Pepukayi said. “Before it was lunchtime, you could have them in the hallways passing in between classes. But now it's built about from the time you walk through the door till the time you leave.”
Pepukayi said data from the middle school pilot program showed positive results. At one school, 78% of teachers reported improved listening among students, and 88% observed greater respect for peers and teachers.
Some folks who have family in the public school system say they support the change.
"I think it's a great idea to have the phone put away for the day. They have other things to focus on and a lot of other hours, but they can use their phone for other things," grandparent Starr Ezra said.
State Law Behind the Change
The policy shift is a response to the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, which requires all Maryland public schools to implement policies governing the use of personal communication devices beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.
TCPS leaders said they wanted to begin the transition early to give students and families time to adapt.
Pepukayi said the goal is to eliminate phones as a distraction in the classroom.
"We want to be able to make sure that we have students' attention fully when they're in the classroom space,” Pepukayi said. “We want to get back to full attention, participation, communication, collaborative spaces where we're working together and we don't have the phone as a distraction.”
Pepukayi said she urges families to talk with their children about the new expectations.
"Please talk to your student about this, knowing that their phones have to be put away from the time they walk through the door till the time that they leave. You can have them after school, but we want to make sure that they're optimizing their learning time in the classroom," Pepukayi said.
Consequences for Violations
The district has outlined a tiered system of consequences for students who violate the policy without an approved exception, including documented medical needs or approved accommodations:
First offense: The phone is taken to the office, and the student may pick it up.
Second offense: The phone is taken to the office, and a parent must pick it up.
Third offense: The student receives an office referral, and a parent must pick up the phone.
Fourth offense: The student must hand in their phone to the office daily for the remainder of the quarter.
Addressing Safety Concerns
Pepukayi said the district consulted law enforcement and emergency services when it introduced Yondr pouches two years ago at Easton Middle School.
"What they said, honestly, is for students to listen to the instructions from the adult, because what happens is when you have an influx of calls coming in, students are paying attention to what's on their phone,” Pepukayi said. “They're not listening to the directions that are being given by administrators, by teachers, and that causes more confusion than just being able to listen to the directions that are already outlined. That was the biggest thing that we heard.”
Community member Lydia Woolever said the responsibility for student safety, including concerns about school shootings, should not fall on children carrying phones.
"I think that ultimately, I understand for some parents the concern given, you know, school shootings across the US. But I think that that ultimately falls to our politicians to be our local officials, our state officials, our national officials, to be, protecting our kids and protecting our school system. So I don't think that should fall to the kids having to keep a cell phone on them in case of a tragic event" Woolever said.
Woolever added that reducing screen time could benefit students' mental health.
"I think that young people are surrounded by too much technology these days and too many screens. And, I understand from lots of friends who have kids in school these days that it's become a big distraction. It's not good for their mental health. So, I think keeping school an opportunity to learn and not be distracted, it's ideal," she said.
The district is working to secure Title IV funding to pay for the pouches for the high school and has been in communication with Yondr representatives about the rollout timeline, Pepukayi said.
Pepukayi said the district has a backup funding source and a backup plan in case the Yondr pouches are not ready for the first day of school.
The "No Cell, Bell to Bell" policy takes effect districtwide on Aug. 24, the first day of school.
