Dear Durham Public Schools families and staff,
DPS places a high priority on ensuring classroom environments where students can be safe and ready to learn with minimal distractions. This includes the responsible usage of digital technology under the supervision of teachers and additional authorized school staff. Digital literacy is crucial to student success, but personal cell phones and other personal digital devices can often cause disruptions in the classroom.
It is our goal to protect precious instructional time for students to learn and achieve at their fullest potential. That is why the Durham Public Schools Board of Education has adopted a new policy (Policy 4318) that will align with a new North Carolina state law (House Bill 959) that limits cell phone and other personal device usage on our campuses, beginning January 1, 2026.
With this new policy, students will be required to power down their cell phones and other personal devices during instructional time, and additional times at the discretion of authorized school staff. We strongly believe that this will foster a better learning experience for students, allowing teachers to do their jobs more effectively with minimal distractions and interruptions.
Overview of new personal device policy
Following are a few key points in the policy that will be in effect immediately for all DPS students when they return from winter break on January 5, 2026:
Middle and high school students will now be required to power down and put away their personal devices during class time, other instructional time, and as directed by school staff.
The term “put away” means the device must be out of sight and not easily accessible. This means that students must place their powered down devices in book bags, purses, or pockets.
Personal device usage that is required for assistive communication, translation, or a safety plan will be authorized in students’ Individual Education Plans (IEP) or Individual Health Plans (IHP).
School staff may authorize personal device usage as they deem appropriate for reasonable and legitimate purposes, such as allowing a student to communicate with someone outside of school. Students must request permission to do so from their teacher or other authorized staff.
Consequences for violating the new policy
Students who violate the new personal device policy will face consequences, including confiscation of the device, if deemed necessary by authorized school staff. Typically, the first violation will come with a simple verbal warning, in which the student will be instructed to power down and put away their device.
If a student ignores the verbal warning, the teacher or authorized staff member may then temporarily confiscate the device until the end of the school day. The student’s parent/guardian will be notified if this action is taken.
The new policy allows for immediate confiscation of a student’s personal device without a verbal warning if the student’s use of the device is causing a significant disturbance in class or at a school event, or if the student already has violated the policy more than once, and parents/guardians have been notified that this is a repeat occurrence and that immediate confiscation may be employed.
Questions and concerns
We know that students and families will have specific questions about the new cell phone and personal device policy. We have prepared this list of FAQs to help answer any questions or concerns you might have about our expectations for students, along with consequences for violating the new policy.
DPS values the protection of classroom time, and we appreciate cooperation among students and families in following the new personal device policy. In addition to reviewing the policy and the FAQs we have provided, please contact your school if you have any questions or concerns.