The Shawnee Mission School District has finalized its new policy for student cellphones to meet state law ahead of the school year. The policy states that students are permitted to store their phones in vehicles, even on school property, but some parents have expressed concerns about the potential damage to the devices due to extreme temperatures.

Policy Details

The new policy requires students to turn off their devices and store them in a location not on the student’s person and inaccessible during the school day. Exceptions include medically necessary devices approved by a doctor, and devices required for implementation of students’ 504 or individualized education plans.

Kim Whitman, a Shawnee Mission parent and co-founder of the Phone-Free Schools Movement, spoke against the newly approved personal electronic device policy during public comment. Whitman argued that the policy does not strictly follow the law, which requires students to store their phones in a location not on the student’s person and inaccessible during the school day.

School officials had worked on the district’s own version of a phone ban for months, finalizing it early in 2025, only to have it superseded by the Kansas Legislature. The district’s new policy would have set different phone usage rules by grade level.

Disciplinary Actions

For students in violation of the new policy, disciplinary actions include, but are not limited to, tracking implementation of the cell phone policy. Board member Mary Sinclair stated that the district will be able to better understand the impact of the policy and make adjustments if needed, within the confines of the new state statute.

Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.