§ 38-851.02 — LEA requirements for a personal wireless communication device policy.

District of Columbia § 38-851.02

• Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
• Title 38: Educational Institutions.
• Ch. 8D: Personal Wireless Communication Devices in Primary and Secondary Schools.

Text

(a) No later than 15 days before the start of the 2026-2027 School Year, each LEA serving students enrolled in grades K-12 shall adopt and implement a personal wireless communication device policy that prohibits K-12 students from, at a minimum, possessing a personal wireless communication device on school premises at any time during the full school day.

(b) An LEA's personal wireless communication device policy may include exemptions for a student possessing a personal wireless communication device for specific educational purposes and to manage a student's health care needs.

(c) Each LEA's personal wireless communication device policy shall:

(1) Establish consequences if a student violates the policy; provided, that the consequences shall be consistent with § 38-236.04 ;

(2) Establish a process and timeline for the LEA to assess whether the policy is working and how to refine it;

(3) Be published on the LEA's website no later than 15 days before the start of each school year for which the policy is in effect, and that mid-year modifications shall be published no later than 15 days before being effective;

(4) Be communicated to all enrolled families before the first day of school; and

(5) Be communicated to all LEA employees, contractors, and volunteers who have contact with students during school hours.

(d) Each LEA's personal wireless communication device policy shall require each school in the LEA to:

(1) Identify how a parent or guardian of an enrolled student should communicate urgent information to their child during the full school day;

(2) Identify how the school will communicate with families in cases of emergency; and

(3) Identify appropriate storage for students' personal wireless communication devices during the full school day.