Perkins School Board Revises Student Phone Policy

(ARTICLE UPDATED ON NOVEMBER 13, 2025)

Student mobile phones will no longer be allowed in classrooms, hallways, lunchrooms, and study halls during instructional days across Perkins Local Schools after January 1, 2026, as required by Ohio law.

At the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, members voted 5-0 to approve the policy.

Currently, students at Perkins High School and Briar Middle School are allowed to have phones during the school day, but must store them in a locker or classroom phone caddy during lessons. Students at Furry Elementary and Meadowlawn Intermediate schools are not permitted to have phones.

Click here for more information about the state’s requirements

At the October meeting on Wednesday, PHS Principal Jeff Harbal presented the policy to Board members. The policy includes exemptions for students who use their phones for medical applications and individual education plans. The policy also allows students access to phones in the event of an emergency or active threat.

“We are looking forward to our students being without the distraction of phones during the school day," Mr. Harbal said. "Although this will take some getting used to, studies have shown that student engagement is higher without the cell phones.”

It is being proposed to the Board that students who bring their phones to school will be required to lock them in school-provided pouches, which the district will issue to each student. The pouches can be unlocked at the end of the school day or, in the case of an emergency, in the classroom.

The change is required by Ohio law, signed by Gov. Michael DeWine on June 30.