Ontario School District - Cell Phone Policy

Cell Phone Policy

New Personal Electronic Device Policy and Guidance

On July 2, 2025, Gov. Kotek’s Executive Order 25-09 directed all K–12 public schools in Oregon to prohibit the use of personal electronic devices during the instructional day. School districts must adopt policies aligned with this order by Oct. 31, 2025, with full implementation by Jan. 1, 2026. OSD intends to adopt Board policy and school procedures that will be in place for the beginning of the 2025 school year in August.

Additional Information and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the state requiring?

At a minimum, each district’s policy must:

● Prohibit student use of personal electronic devices during the instructional day.

● Provide clarity on how devices will be stored during the school day.

● Allow for exemptions (see specific exemption conditions on page 2 of the Executive Order)

● Provide direction on appropriate responses to policy violations.

● Be publicly posted and accessible to school staff, students, families, on-site partners, and the Oregon Department of Education.

What are some of the benefits of a bell-to-bell cell phone ban?

The executive order aims to help foster student learning, well-being, and belonging by reducing distractions and promoting healthy, focused school environments. It requires school districts to adopt policies that restrict student use of personal electronic devices during the school day, with specific provisions to ensure equitable and supportive implementation.

What might the OSD policy look like?

OSD and our School Board of Directors will work together to develop policy and procedures that will require personal electronic devices (PEDs) to be off and out of sight during the school day, "Off and away, all day."

Restrictions will apply in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, cafeterias, and outdoor areas during school hours, but will allow use on the school bus to and from school.

Final decisions about enforcement, storage, and specific expectations will be shared with the community once the policy is adopted.

Are there any exemptions?

The policy will allow for use in the following circumstances:

● Medical necessity, when use is part of a care or treatment plan ordered by a licensed medical provider.

● Individualized education plans (IEPs) or Section 504 plans, when use is required for access or accommodation.

● Approved exemptions, based on District-developed guidelines that allow administrators to consider a student’s individual needs or specific educational outcomes.

How can my student reach me during the day?

For students:

If you need to contact home, visit the main office or speak with a staff member.

For families:

Call the main office to reach your child.

In urgent situations, school staff will facilitate prompt communication.

All classrooms are equipt with landline phones.

What about in emergencies?

In the event of an emergency, the Ontario School District has established safety protocols to ensure the well-being of students and staff.

While it may seem helpful for students to use cell phones during events like lockdowns, doing so can create risks—phones can reveal a student’s location, spread misinformation, or interfere with emergency communication and response efforts.

District staff are trained to communicate with emergency personnel and families. In the event of a crisis, the District will use official channels (calls, emails, texts, website updates) to share accurate information.

For more information about emergency protocols and safety procedures, you can review the OSD Emergency Response webpage.

What will happen if a student is caught with a device during the day?

Enforcement procedures will be finalized as part of the policy development process.

However, the District expects to use restorative approaches aligned with our discipline framework.

The goal is to help students understand and meet expectations, not punish.

Additionally, in alignment with the governor’s executive order, violations of the Personal Electronic Devices (PED) policy will not result in lost instructional time, meaning that suspension and/or expulsion are not permitted as a direct consequence of being caught with a PED.

Disciplinary action may still be appropriate if a student uses a personal electronic device to harass others, access inappropriate content, or engage in other prohibited behaviors, or the behavior becomes habitual and escalates to defiance.

Can staff use their devices during the day?

Yes. Staff may use devices for:

Instructional purposes
Student safety
Family communication

Staff will be expected to model responsible and respectful device use. The expectation will be that they do not use devices for personal use during instructional hours or during the supervision of students.

What about extracurricular activities?

The executive order applies only during the academic school day.

Policies around device use during extracurriculars, after-school programs, athletics, and school-sponsored events will be addressed separately and may vary by activity or setting.