The Policy Committee minutes describe a significant update to Policy JICJ and a new procedure JICJ-R to comply with Maine’s new bell-to-bell prohibition on student personal cell phones and connected devices by August 1, 2026. The draft procedure defines detailed storage expectations at each grade span, outlines enforcement steps, and calls out the need for staff training and robust family communication before the effective date. The Committee directed the Superintendent to take the drafts to the Administrative Team for feedback and to schedule an additional Policy Committee meeting before August 1 to finalize them for Board adoption. While the policy is about restricting personal devices, districts often pair such shifts with classroom management tools, secure in-class devices, communication platforms, and staff/family training. There is a near-term need for implementation support, communication tools, and potentially alternative instructional technology solutions as student personal devices are removed from daily use.

Implementation will affect all schools (PreK–12) with building-specific storage and enforcement prot...