PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Calvert County Schools is getting a head start on the statewide cell phone ban in schools with a new policy.
At the July 9 meeting, Director of Student Services Sabrina Bergen presented Policy No. 3175: Regarding Cell Phones in Schools to the Board of Education (BOE). The policy will comply with the Joanne C. Benson Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act; §7-306(c) of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, which was passed during this year’s legislative session.
The bill says that all Maryland schools must have a policy in place for the 2027-28 school year, but Calvert County created its policy early at the BOE’s request and plans to implement it during the upcoming 2026-27 school year.
Under this new policy, students will not be able to use cell phones at any time.
“The Calvert County Board of Education is committed to maintaining safe, orderly, and academically focused learning environments that support student achievement and well-being. The Board establishes clear expectations for student use of and storage of personal electronic communication devices during the school day to minimize instructional disruption, promote positive school climate, and support meaningful student engagement,” the policy reads.
Calvert County Schools already has guidelines on cell phones in schools in the district’s Code of Conduct. However, those guidelines are different for elementary, middle and high school students. For example, high school students are currently allowed to use cell phones during their lunch period. The policy would eliminate that rule.
Bergen said that the policy was written to create uniform and consistent rules, take specific student needs into account, and protect students’ rights. The four exceptions to the cell phone ban in schools are:
- A documented reasonable accommodation in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan related specifically to the student’s disability.
- Use is necessary to address a documented health issue.
- Use of phones needed to access language translation tools to ensure educational equity for multilingual students when school-issued electronic communication devices are not available or are insufficient for this purpose.
- Needed for caregiving responsibilities, as approved by the principal.
The policy will be posted for 30 days for public review before the BOE votes on it.
