The Ledger

From Staff Reports

Bleckley County Middle School has announced a new electronic device policy for the upcoming school year in accordance with the Georgia Distraction-Free Education Act of 2025.

Under the policy, students may bring personal electronic devices to school, including cell phones, smartwatches, iPods, AirPods, earbuds, AI eyewear and similar devices. However, the devices may not be out or in use between the first bell and the dismissal bell, from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Students who eat breakfast at school will be permitted to use their electronic devices from 7 to 7:30 a.m. while in the lunchroom. School officials said faculty members will monitor device use during that time to ensure it remains appropriate and does not disrupt the school environment.

Upon arriving in homeroom, students will be required to power off their devices and place them in a secure, lock-and-key storage location designated by the teacher. The devices will remain stored throughout the school day and will only be accessible by the homeroom teacher.

Approximately 10 minutes before dismissal, students will return to homeroom to retrieve their devices. After the 3 p.m. dismissal, students waiting outside the school for a bus or parent pickup may use their electronic devices.

The policy also outlines disciplinary consequences for violations:

• First offense: Device confiscated until the end of the school day.
• Second offense: Device turned in to the office, parent or guardian must pick it up, and the student is assigned break detention.
• Third offense: Device turned in to the office, parent or guardian must pay a $25 fine, and the student is assigned two days of in-school suspension (ISS).
• Additional offenses: Students may face further disciplinary action as outlined in the student handbook.

The complete electronic device policy and student handbook are available online at https://tinyurl.com/5rpe2ece.