Cell Phone Legislation

Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, West Fargo Public Schools will implement a new procedure regarding student use of wireless personal communication devices during the school day in compliance with Senate Bill 2354. This state law requires all school districts to adopt policies that prohibit the use of personal electronic devices—including cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, and laptops, etc. during instructional hours. This restriction applies from the start of the school day to its conclusion and includes common areas such as hallways, the lunchroom, and other shared spaces. To summarize, students will not have access to cell phones, smartwatches, and other personal devices from the start of the school day to the end of the school day, including lunch time and passing time between classes. This is now a state law.

Beginning the 2025-2026 school year, WFHS rules regarding personal device usage (cell phone, smartwatch, personal laptop, etc.) will be as follows:

• Cell phones, smart watches, and all other personal devices that can send and receive messages are OUT-OF-SIGHT and OUT-OF-USE from 8:25a until 3:35p. 
• Devices CANNOT be kept on your person (in a pocket, etc.). They must, at a bare minimum, be kept in a CLOSED backpack pocket. Devices can also be left in your car, at home, etc. 
• Devices CANNOT be utilized or checked during passing times, lunch time, or Open Campus if you choose to remain on campus.  
• If you leave the classroom to visit the nurse, go to the bathroom, etc., your backpack (with your phone inside) STAYS IN THE CLASSROOM. 

Consequences are as follows: 

• First Offense: The device is brought to the Main Office, picked up by the student at the end of the student’s day 
• Second Offense: The device is brought to the Main Office, picked up by the parent/guardian at their earliest convenience, not to be returned to the student until the end of the student’s day 
• Third Offense: The device is brought to the Main Office, picked up by the parent/guardian at their earliest convenience, not to be returned to the student until the end of the student’s day, behavior plan assigned to the student 
• Fourth Offense: The device is brought to the Main Office, picked up by the parent/guardian at their earliest convenience, not to be returned to the student until the end of the student’s day, 1 day ISS 
• Fifth Offense: The device is brought to the Main Office, picked up by the parent/guardian at their earliest convenience, not to be returned to the student until the end of the student’s day, 1 day OSS 
• Sixth Offense: The device is brought to the Main Office, picked up by the parent/guardian at their earliest convenience, not to be returned to the student until the end of the student’s day, transition to Virtual Program for the at least the remainder of the semester 

A few other notes: 

• The law addresses personal student devices like cell phones, laptops, and smartwatches. It does NOT include Bluetooth headphones as they do not have the capacity to send and receive messages.  
• Students with medical notes denoting required access to devices will be placed on special plans.  
• We encourage all families to utilize email to communicate with learners as they will still have access to their Outlook accounts. 
• Because of state law, students will be unable to reply to text messages and phone calls sent to their personal device(s) during the school day.  
• Our Main Office staff is ready to receive and deliver emergency messages for students.   
• Facilitate your learner memorizing important phone numbers or recording them in a note within their iPad.  

If you have questions about the state law, please contact your legislators (find your legislator here). We also encourage you to check out the attached graphic with data supporting limiting student access to devices as well as the attached document with linked resources, including videos and articles. If you have not yet read The Anxious Generation, it is a tremendous resource for parents and guardians wanting to protect their children from the now-known dangers of unlimited access to the virtual world.  

More information will be shared in back-to-school messaging and in class meetings on the first day of school.  

Thank you for all that you do to support our students and our school. Go Packers. 

WFHS Administration